Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Wednesday congratulated Team Delta for topping the medals table at the just-concluded 6th National Youth Games held in Ilorin.
Delta, which had been topping the medals table since the inception of the Games won 114 medals – 60 gold, 26 silver and 28 bronze at the sixth edition.
Lagos State placed second with of 72 medals comprising of 19 gold, 25 silver and 28 bronze, while Edo finished third with 40 medals – 18 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze.
Okowa’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, said in a statement issued in Asaba that the governor commended Team Delta for its commitment and determination culminating in unrivalled dominance at the games since inception.
Okowa expressed delight that the team did not just emerge winners, but surpassed its last record in medals uptake.
He congratulated the athletes, their coaches and the management of Delta State Sports Commission on the great record, describing it as “stunning and unprecedented’’.
He ascribed the successes recorded by the team to huge investments by the state government in sports.
He assured that talents discovered at this year’s games would be nurtured and mentored to become future stars for the state, the country and the world.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I congratulate Team Delta for making us proud again by winning the 6th edition of the National Youth Games.
“Your continuous emergence as winners at the competition is as a result of our strategic planning and huge investments in sports development.
“We have continued to use sports as a unifying factor in our multi-ethnic state, and this has helped us in bringing the youths together to pursue greater ventures for their own good and that of our state in particular and Nigeria in general,’’ the governor said.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Sports for organising the Games and called for more stakeholders’ involvement in funding sports development in the country. (NAN)
