By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
To prevent the aim of discovering budding talents of secondary school age that would be groomed for future representation for Nigeria, any state that registers over-aged athletes for the 2016 National Youth Games will be risking disqualification.
It was gathered that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has perfected plans of screening out such athletes.
A top official of the ministry who did not want his name mentioned, informed that the Director Grassroots Sports Development, Dr. Ademola Are has handed down strict instructions that only those below 17 should be allowed to feature.
“Oga has said that he does not want us to have problems of age affecting us in the future. He is insisting that even if it is only 200 of the athletes that are eligible and confirmed to be qualified by age, we would work with that,” the source informed our correspondent.
He explained that already, the screening committee which he is opportune to get details on will be on ground in Ilorin to weed out those above 17.
The second edition of the National Youth Games is billed to commence at the University of Ilorin from 23 of this month, with over 2,600 athletes billed to participate.
