Fourteen-year-old sets world record at National Youth Games

What appears a major achievement for Nigeria happened at the weekend at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, the venue of the ongoing Eighth National Youth Games, where a 14-year-old athlete set a new world record in the boys’ long jump event.

The Games, which was declared open by President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, has produced some interesting results so far.

However, the result posted by the young jumper, Oddo Melvin of Team Delta elicited quite an applause at the stadium on Saturday evening.

His 7.13m jump in the boys’ long jump not only fetched him a gold medal, but it currently stands as the new record in the Boys’ U-14 category globally. Before the feat, the existing world record for boys’ U-14 was 6.25m.

Last year, when Delta hosted the seventh edition of the National Youth Games at the same venue, the young Oddo Melvin competed in the long jump but failed to get a medal.

But on Saturday evening, Melvin won two gold medals the same day, first in the high jump, where he won with a jump of 1.90m to equal his Personal Best record. He attempted to jump higher by going for 1.95m in the high jump but failed.

About two hours later, he moved to the long jump arena. With the huge crowd cheering him on, Melvin broke the world record twice, leaping 6.99m in his first jump before recording a massive 7.13m to capture the gold medal.

The young Melvin told The Guardian shortly after his event that his dream is to win gold for Team Nigeria at the Olympics.

“First, I thank God for making this possible,” he said. “Since last year, I have been practicing so hard and I am glad my effort has paid off. My dream is to compete at the Olympics and win a medal for Team Nigeria,” Melvin stated.
Former Nigeria long jumper, Olu Sule described Melvin’s achievement as great.

“I watched Melvin last year, and I saw the picture of a young athlete who is destined for greatness. I am glad he is breaking new grounds in long jump; Nigerians should watch out for him.”

Following Melvin’s feat, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Games, Solomon Ogba, urged the Federal Government to keep tabs on some of the athletes currently making waves at the Games.

“I think what we need to do in the case of athletes like Oddo Melvin is to find a way to take him to a school in the United States, where he can get the needed exposure and train under good coaches. I don’t want him to find himself in the hands of some wrong coaches. He is good material for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics,” said Ogba, a two-time president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and currently the first vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC).

While many are commending young Melvin for his feat, the “Special Screening Committee” put in place by the Ministry of Sports Development for the Games has come under attack following alleged inconsistencies in approving athletes for the Games.

The National Youth Games is meant for athletes below the age of 15 years.

The committee got a major knock for its alleged decision to allow four states to participate in the boys’ basketball event after it gave pass marks to only three.

“Only three states passed the screening for the boys’ basketball event, which means the event can’t go on as a medal event because it fell short of the number of teams required. But all of a sudden, the same committee increased the number of states to seven overnight after realizing that only three states can’t compete. We all agreed that they should just compete, but no medals would be awarded in the boys’ basketball event,” an official from one of the states told The Guardian.

The official, who pleaded anonymity, continued: “I don’t know why the Sports Ministry set up a Special Screening Committee for the National Youth Games when we have the National Identification Number (NIN). If people are not lazy, why can’t they screen everybody by using the NIN? As far as I am concerned, the Sports Ministry needs to put its house for us to get things right in the National Youth Games.

“We are repeating the same thing every year because some people are gaining from the system.”
Meanwhile, a 25-man contingent from Katsina arrived in Asaba, Delta State capital on Saturday evening for the Games, three days after the opening ceremony.

The Guardian gathered that some officials wanted Team Katsina sent back due to the late arrival, but the Director General of Delta State Sports Commission, Fustus Ohwojero quickly intervened.

“The DG quickly intervened and ordered that they should be taken to their hostel. He also assigned a caterer to give them food immediately because of the long journey. Besides, Team Katsina entered for the Games. I am sure they must have encountered some difficulties on their way to Asaba. Their athletes may have missed some events, but they will compete from today (yesterday).”