Team Lagos will finish as overall winners of the 9th National Youth Games in Asaba, which draws to a close today (Saturday) with finals in wrestling, judo and athletics.
According to the medals table released by the media and publicity sub-committee, Lagos State leads comfortably with 47 gold, 28 silver and 22 bronze medals.
Team Edo are second with 33 gold, 14 silver and 22 bronze, while hosts Delta State occupy third place after securing 31 gold, 36 silver and 33 bronze medals. A total of 32 states have registered on the medals table.
The closing ceremony, scheduled for Saturday morning, will feature the finals of the boys’ and girls’ 4x100m relays as well as the 4x400m mixed relay.
Among the standout athletes of the Games is 13-year-old Faith Chukwuma of Delta State, who claimed gold in the girls’ 200m event. Chukwuma, who also won silver in the 100m, described her victory as the fulfilment of a promise she made to herself after winning bronze in the 200m at the last National Sports Festival in Abeokuta.
“I was the youngest athlete for Delta State at the last festival, and I won bronze in the 200m at age 13,” she said. “I made up my mind then that I would come back to win, and I finally did. I want to thank Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the chairman of the state sports commission, my coach and my mother for their prayers and support.”
Overcome with emotion after her victory, Chukwuma revealed that she and her teammates also won three gold medals in the relay events, further underlining her emergence as one of the brightest prospects of the competition.
The 9th edition of the National Youth Games will wrap up later today with the closing ceremony in Asaba.
