National Youth Games: Ebonyi Pledges Credible Representation for S/East

Ebonyi State has given an assurance that it will effectively and most credibly represent the South-East at the upcoming National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state recently hosted the zonal elimination series of the competition and qualified from the zone in both Male and Female Basketball. The state also qualified to represent the zone in Female Cricket as well as Male Handball and Football.

The Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Charles Akpuenika, told NAN in Abakiliki at the weekend that intensive preparations for the youth games would commence immediately.

“We would convene a meeting with coaches of the various sports to fashion modalities for intensive preparations. We are also optimistic that the current form of our athletes competing in various individual events would boost our chances of winning medals at the games,” Akpuenika said.

He attributed the state’s feat at the zonal elimination series to the successful grassroots sports development policy of the state government.

“We remain indebted to the state governor, who has fulfilled his electoral promise of reviving sports in the state. This is the first time Ebonyi will be hosting the national youth games zonal elimination series since its creation in 1996. We are optimistic that with the standard facilities on ground, the state will host more competitions in the future,” he said.

The commissioner urged the athletes to take preparations for the games seriously in order to make remarkable impact.

According to him, the athletes will meet champions from other zones and the level of competition will be stiffer.
He gave assurance that government would provide the necessary logistics needed for the athletes to perform optimally, saying that the expectations on them were high.