T
he opening ceremony of the 2013 National Youth Games has been fixed for Sunday, December 8 as athletes from the 36 participating states and the Federal Capital Territory started arriving Abuja for the inaugural Games since Friday.
The Local Organising Committee, LOC for the Under-17 Youth Games, Alhassan Yakmut said the arrival date of the athletes has been shifted by one day to enable all concerned arrive due to the problem of transportation.
Pilot Sports gathered that the games were earlier scheduled to begin on Dec. 5 with the arrival of athletes from various states of the country.
Yakmut disclosed to Pilot Sports in Abuja after the committee’s meeting with the minister of Sports, Mallam Bollaji Abdullahi that the arrival date would now be on Dec. 6.
According to Yakmut, the postponement was to enable the committee do a last minute clean-up at the athletes’ camps.
“We shifted the arrival date by one day to enable us setup the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC orientation camp, Kubwa. He explained that the delay in securing the camp was due to an order by the Federal Capital Territory, FCT administration which barred the public from making use of it.’’
Yakmut pointed out that it was the intervention of the Minister of Sports and the NYSC Director General that made the release of the over 5,000 bed-space-camp available.
“The break through about the preparation was the intervention of the Minister of sports and supervising minister of Youths and the inter agency collaboration with the NYSC.
“We had gone to inspect the Keffi NYSC orientation camp but we found out that the logistics of keeping the athletes in Keffi with the traffic there would be a cumbersome exercise.
“We also thought it may mar the objectives of the games
“We thank God that we were able to resolve the accommodation snag witnessed when we applied for the use of Kubwa NYSC orientation camp.
“So, the main games village will be the NYSC camp in Kubwa, while it will be supported by the Civil Defence training centre in Saoka, FCT,’’
He also said that venues and areas for the games had been mapped out, as events would hold in the morning, afternoon and evening depending on how they unfold.
Yakmut who is also the Director of Grassroots Sports Development in the National Sports Commission, NSC noted that boxing and taekwondo would take place in the velodrome of the National stadium Abuja.
He said the basketball, volleyball, handball and tennis would take place at the four outdoor courts in the package `B’ of the stadium, while badminton and handball will take place at the indoor hall.
“Weightlifting event will take place at the gymnastic gym, while the FIFA Goal Project football pitch as well as the main bowl and the practice pitch of the National stadium will host the football event,’’ he added.
“This means that 92 percent of the states entered for the first edition of the games which is excellent from every measure.
Yakmut expressed delight with the participation of 34 states and the FCT in the maiden edition of the games, noting that it was an indication that 92 percent of the states registered for the games.
Departure of athletes and officials will be on Dec. 15.