A frontline member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Lucky Ehiwuogwu Monye, has commended Team Delta for its second place finish at the 9th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) held in Asaba.
Team Delta, with 37 gold, 38 silver and 39 bronze medals came behind the overall winner, Lagos, at the festival .
It was the first time that Lagos, traditional second placer at previous editions of the games, has toppled Delta, which had won all editions prior to the last.
Though the state lost its traditional prime place, Monye said that there was a good cause to celebrate the outing of Team Delta.
Monye, in a media chat by telephone from Agbor, said though the state failed to retain the overall winners’ diadem at the feast, it still demonstrated its potency by a decent second placing on the overall medals table.
The philanthropist and Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of Monaco Ventures Nigeria Limited, said the closing ceremony remark of the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, for a crackdown on age cheating at the festival, was instructive.
According to Monye, aside from whatever actions the Federal Government might take, the state government should assemble experts in related fields to assess the factors that led to Deltas’ loss of the Prime position at the feast.
He stressed that the assessment should not be a witch hunt but a credible x- ray of the factors that may have contributed to the runner up placing of the state at the conclusion of the sports festival.
The overall goal of the inquest should be to ensure that such factors do not play out at future editions of the NYG or any sports meets involving the state.
Monye called for sustained support for Team Delta at all future sports meets to enable Team Delta regain and sustain its prime leadership position in national competitive sports meets.