It was just a week to the opening of the 7th National Youth Games in Asaba, capital of Delta state, when some Delta State athletes camped for the National Youth Games (NYG) protested against what they termed “poor feeding conditions, poor water and electricity supply as well as unhygienic environment” in their camp in Delta State.
The young males and females athletes who are between the ages of 10 to 20 had accused the chairman of the state Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa and officials of the commission of taking advantage of them to amass wealth, saying he never bothered about their welfare especially in the areas of good food, water and electricity supply in their camp.
The athletes had also accused the commission’s chairman, Tonobok Okowa, who is a younger brother to the immediate past governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa and one Festus Owhojero, director of Audit department of awarding the cooking contracts in the athletes camps and supply of other consumable items to their sisters, wives, relations and girlfriends.
With the poor welfare treatment on the young athletes, Deltans are afraid that the athletes may not be able to put in their best as a result of psychological effects that may have come their ways.
Meanwhile, there was pandemonium on Saturday, September 23, immediately after the commencement of the opening ceremony of the 7th National Youth Games (NYG) following the sudden collapse of a gate to the main bowl of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba on a middle-aged woman said to be one of the athletes. She was later rushed to the hospital when her case could not be handled by medical personnel on ground.