On Thursday, Team Delta emerged victorious at the 8th National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State, despite widespread allegations of age cheating.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the defending champions secured 41 gold, 27 silver, and 30 bronze medals, topping the competition.
However, several sports writers and administrators who monitored the 11-day event expressed dissatisfaction with its organization and outcome.
Dr. Daniel Igali, President of the Wrestling Federation of Nigeria (WFN), voiced concerns at a press conference, highlighting that age cheating posed a significant obstacle to Nigeria’s grassroots sports development efforts.
“As a nation, we must end this win-at-all-cost mentality in tournaments. If Nigeria aims to perform well internationally, we need to take decisive action to eliminate age cheating. Failure to do so undermines the purpose of youth tournaments, as some states’ desire to win at any cost is discrediting the efforts of others,” Igali stated.
He added that the screening process for athletes had been corrupted by those responsible, turning it into a transaction favoring the highest bidder, and warned that this was compromising the integrity of the youth games, which he called the most crucial competition for sports development in the country.
Echoing these concerns, Mr. Obioma George, Director of Sports at the Abia Sports Council, expressed disappointment with the handling of the games.
“I congratulate Delta for hosting this tournament, but they must address the athlete screening process. It’s disheartening to see some athletes cleared despite obvious age discrepancies, giving certain states an unfair advantage. Many of Abia’s athletes were disqualified even though they met the age requirements, while athletes who were initially screened out later competed,” George noted.
He urged the organizers to take stronger measures to curb age cheating in future competitions, emphasizing that the current system is detrimental to Nigerian sports.
According to the final medal table released by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Team Lagos secured second place with 25 gold, 19 silver, and 18 bronze medals. Team Edo followed in third, with a total of 17 gold, 12 silver, and 21 bronze medals, bringing their tally to 53. Team Bayelsa finished fourth with 14 gold, 17 silver, and 21 bronze medals, making a total of 52.
