Date: 2017-09-11

The 3rd National Youth Game Ilorin, Kwara State 2017 's registration for the athletes from the 36 states including Federal capital continued for first three days ,and overfour thousand athletes were registered, Ondo state is taking part in Twenty three Games which include Tennis, Table Tennis, Volleyball ,Basketball, Cricket, Weight Lifting ,track events ,Scrabble, Wrestling, Handball, Swimming, Judo ,Boxing and others .

One hundred and thirteen athletes are representing the state,58boys and 55girls.Ondo State Director of Sport Mr Salami Ayodeji said that the athletes are in high Spirt and he assures the state that the athletes will do the state proud.

The minister of Youths and Sport Barrister Solomon Dallong said the cardinal object of this game is to assist the youths to achieve their objective and to stem the tide of Youth restiveness and it was through the maiden edition that was held in 2013 in Abuja that the athletes that represented Nigeria in African Youth Games in Botswana in 20I4 winning Lure for the country were discovered and the one held in Ilorin 2016 also produced athletes representing Nigeria in various competition'.

This game was satire up after The Africa Youth Games, Common wealth youth game and the Olympic Youth game between age 17years and below ,the ages of the athletes as from the next edition of National Youth Game will be reduce to 15years and below the Minister has said .He added that the purpose of this Game is to discover athletes that will represent the country in international competitions' .

He admonished the officials of the game to make sure that the right athletes are discovered so as to groom them for the next international competitions'.

According to him sport in Nigeria has grown and it contributed immensely to the unity of the country.

He commended President Mohammed Buhari for granting approval for the hosting of this game, and the Vic Chancellor of University of Ilorin for allowing the Game to be hoisted in his domain for the second time .

He said that he Hope that this edition will also produced athletes that will represent the country just as the previous edition did He urged the participants to see this as an opportunity for them to develop their talent . He called on the athletes to be humble in victory and be magnanimous in defeat

Also,the athletes representing Ondo State in gymnastics at the National Youth Games in Ilorin has won three Gold and three sliver and two bronze.

This is the first game in this competition, Sadrah Alaran won the gold medal and more gold are on the way, the Diectot for Sport, Mr Sallami Ayodeji said.

According to him, the state government has given them all the necessary support needed "we have to do everything within our power to make the state proud " Ayodeji promised.

The state athletes are repenting the state in twenty three games which are:Table Tennis, volleyball Gymnastics ,Judoo, wrestling, Boxing Swimming, Weight Lifting ,karate, Field Events, Tennis Gymnastics and others