By Uzor Odigbo
AthIetics Fans and indeed all participants at the National Youth Games are excited with great expectations as the mother of all sports, AthIetics begins on Tuesday.
Already, fans have started trooping into the Stephen Kesh international stadium Asaba, on Monday in anticipation of AthIetics starting like other sports.
They were however not too pleased when they could only watch Young athletes training for Tuesdays hostilities.
Confirming the date, AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) technical director Samuel Onikeku said all arrangements are on top gear for a successful AthIetics competitions at the Youth Games.
“We are starting on Tuesday, We just had a meeting with the technical officials, everyone is looking forward for a great start.”
Most States like Delta, Edo, Lagos, Imo, Abia, Gombe, Plateau, kaduna etc are strategizing, planning how to share the number of humongous medals in AthIetics as they have a strong AthIetics presence.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Sports Commission Executive Chairman Yusuf Alli has told participants that Edo state is in the competition with zero expectations for medals.
The former Africa and National long jump champion said exposure and confidence building is the target.
“This is a developmental competition for talent discovery. Any state that wants medals in future should start grooming its AthIetes at this level to elite stage, then, the medals will come, perhaps at the Africa, Commonwealth and Olympic Games.”
His Delta state counterpart, Chief Tonobok Okowa also echoed the same statement, adding that the Youth Games is an avenue states must latch on to groom talents.
Chief Okowa stressed that, “Most world beaters in AthIetics today didn’t win a medal at the grassroots level but kept on aspiring, training hard and pushing before winning medals.”