Delta protests plan by NSC to move NYC to Lagos

Delta protests plan by NSC to move NYC to Lagos
The Director General of the Delta State Sports Commission, Emuobo Egalase has protest the alleged plan by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to move the next edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) to Lagos State from the statutory host, Asaba.
Ms. Egalase stated that Delta State would not accept any move by the Commission to cede the 10th edition of the NYG to Lagos State as it still has the memorandum of Understanding of hosting four straight editions of the games it signed with the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development now the National Sports Commission.Egalase stated this at a press briefing held at her office at the Steven Keshi International Stadium Asaba. Ms. Igalase averred that the MOU which was signed by the Ministry for Youth and Sports Development and the Delta State Sports Commission in 2023 still subsisted and there was no reason for the Commission to jettison the agreement between both bodies, especially as the Delta State Government had not rescinded its decision to host the cadet championship. She said since the change of nomenclature from the Federal Ministry for Youth and Sports Development does not invalidate the earlier agreement signed between both parties, the state should be allowed to host the 10th edition of the games in line with the MOU, asserting that anything contrary to the earlier agreement smacked of distrust and lack of integrity on the part of the apex sports governing body. According to the Delta State Sports Commission, Nigeria had been impacted by the strides in sports development in Delta State which had been in the forefront of promoting sports in the nation and was not ready to relent in its avid commitment to the sector. The State Sports Commission however urged the National Sports Commission to abide by the rules of engagement as Delta State was still ready to host the 10th edition of the games in 2026 even as it expressed confidence in welcoming the rest of Nigeria September next year. Meanwhile, the Delta State Sports Commissioner has urged the National Sports Commission to consider Lagos State as the host of the maiden edition of the proposed National Intermediate Games, saying while it welcomed the idea of an intermediate games aimed at bridging the gap from when athletes discovered at the National Youth Games develop to adulthood, that it would be a thing of joy for Lagos to become the first state to host the event in a bid to set the tone for subsequent editions just like the National Youth Games, which began in 2013 at the MKO Abiola National Stadium Abuja.