Team Delta battles Lagos, Edo on medals table
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the ongoing ninth National Youth Games in Asaba has assured that there will be no clash between the Games’ closing ceremony and Super Eagles World Cup qualifier against Rwanda, on Saturday.

The closing ceremony of the NYG was originally scheduled for Sunday (September 7), but it has been moved back to Saturday (September 6).

A member of the LOC, Festus Ohwojero, told The Guardian that holding the ceremony on Sunday would lead to incurring more expenses, including accommodation and other logistics.

“From the schedule of events, all competitions will end on Saturday. Both the LOC and the National Sports Commission (NSC) have resolved to stage the closing ceremony by 2.00 p.m. on Saturday so that top officials of the NSC can proceed on a private jet to Uyo to support the Super Eagles in the World Cup qualifier against Rwanda.

“Holding the closing ceremony on Sunday will mean incurring extra expenses, and the NSC is not ready to shoulder it.

“For instance, if the closing ceremony is held on Sunday, it means departure will be on Monday, and athletes and officials going to the East and those that will pass through Onitsha won’t be able to do so because of the sit-at-home in the entire southeast.

It means they can only depart Asaba on Tuesday, and that will amount to huge expenses. But as I said, the closing ceremony won’t clash with the Super Eagles match,” Ohwojero explained yesterday.

Meanwhile, defending champion, Team Delta, is gradually climbing up the medals table after falling to the fourth position on day three of the Games.

As of yesterday afternoon, Team Lagos and Edo led the medals table with 30 and 23 gold medals respectively. Team Delta, with 11 gold medals, was in third position.