2023 National Youth Games: Athletes not sleeping on bare floor, report false, distraction – Official

Officials of the 2023 National Youth Games (NYG) currently holding at Asaba, Delta State, have dismissed as untrue and fallacy trending reports on social media that claimed some athletes were sleeping on ground.

The Project manager Hostel and accommodation, Dr Ademola Aare, who addressed press conference on behalf of the organisers of the game, explained that his team provided participants with mattresses, water, detergents and other facilities.

Aare also noted that although the number of contingents from each state went beyond the initial plan of about 4000 to over 5000 participants for the game, they were camped at Dennis Osadebey University, Technical College, Infant Jesus Academy, and AGGS Asaba as well as provided with various facilities.

According to him, the officials went far to gather new mattresses and provide temporary bathroom/ toilets at the places where they were been camped such as Dennis Osadebey University (with about 1,800 contingents), 1000 at Technical College, 1000 at Infant Jesus, and 400 at AGGS.

He, however, explained that the postponement of the NYG also affected their plans as some of the schools they previously reached agreements with relevant authorities for their use were currently on session due to their ongoing examinations.

“We want to inform you that no child sleeps on the bare floor as far this game is concerned. We bought enough mattress. When we found out that many states brought in more contingents outside what they registered, we brought extra mattress from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

“We were expecting about 5000 people but ended up gotten over 7000 contingents. We can’t send them away due to what they passed through to be here. That was why we pleaded with AGGS to accommodate about 400.

“We even provided temporary toilets and bathrooms at some hostels. We provided all of them with soaps, toilet tissues, water, etc. And we are always visiting them to ensure that none of the wards is been mistreated,” he noted.