NYG21: Lessons Osun Should Learn From The 6th National Youth Games
By Oluwaseun Omolola
It is no longer news that the 6th edition of the National Youth Games has come and gone but the memories will linger forever in our hearts.
With eleven Medals in total comprising Six Silver Medals and Five Bronze Medals, Osun State was only good enough to fit in to the number 24 on the Medals Table. A feat that is not worthy to celebrate considering our exploits in 2019 when we were 7th with 7 Gold Medals, 7 Silver Medals and 8 Bronze Medals.
Ranking the Teams from the South-western part of Nigeria on this year’s Medals Table, Team Osun came last. A development worthy of review.
Delta, Lagos, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Kwara and FCT who won double digits in Gold Medals didn’t just achieve that feat overnight but with extraordinary preparations.
It is safe to say that with the poor state of facilities in Osun State, our athletes and players were wonderful with their performance compared to States with excellent sporting facilities.
If we can win 11 Medals with poor state of facilities, now think how many Medals would be won with grade A facilities. Hence, for Osun State to measure up with other states of the federation, we need sporting facilities at the Osogbo City Stadium.
There are some sporting events with numerous Medals attached to them. Events like swimming, Athletes, Taekwondo, Weightlifting among others. We need more athletes to participate in those games so as to win more Medals.
NYG21: Osun Contingents Arrive Home With 11 Medals
Delta, Lagos, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Kwara and other States came with well over 150 athletes compared to Osun with not up to 70 athletes. With more athletes, they won more Medals and with fewer athletes, Osun won fewer Medals. Hence, to measure up with the best states, we need to go to competitions with more athletes.
Our Male Football Team and Female Basketball Team qualified for the first time to National Youth Games and did the state proud. Suffix it to say that we need to invest more in ball games.
There are always numerous competitions that our athletes can participate in as preparations for National Sporting Events. It is advisable that the State sponsor them to such competitions.
The best sporting states have good welfare packages for athletes, players and coaches which makes their teams ready to sweat it out for their respective States. The same cannot be said of Osun State. Our welfare package is poor. We need to improve more on welfare to get the best out of our athletes.
I believe we are getting there.
Long live Osun!
