Date: 2017-09-22

Kwara State's Director of Sports, Tunde Kazeem, on Thursday in Ilorin said they have started preparations for the 4th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG), which will hold in 2018.

Kazeem, while speaking with newsmen, said the state which was still celebrating its fourth place finishing at the just-concluded third edition of the Games, said they have begun preparations in earnest.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kwara won 10 gold, 10 silver and nine bronze medals at the Games which was held at the University of Ilorin.

"While we commend the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, for his moral and financial support for Team Kwara, I must say that we have started preparing for the next edition.

"The first step in this is that of meeting with the coaches and Organising Secretaries.

"This is in order to be able to consolidate on the gains of our 2017 performance, which is a great achievement.

"This is in the sense that it is an improvement on the performance at the 2016 edition, where the state won eight gold, seven silver and six bronze medals," Kazeem said.

He said it was even important to note that Kwara finished overall first in three events at the Games, thereby setting a record in doing so.

"Kwara came overall first in squash, where it won three gold and three silver.

"Also, in badminton, we won two gold and a silver, and in table tennis and para-table tennis, we won three gold, two silver and one bronze," the Kwara Director of Sports, who is the Chairman of the Directors of Sports Forum in Nigeria, said.

He disclosed also that Kwara Sports Council was planning to re-introduce its marketing concept, Team Kwara, which was designed to gather sponsorship and support for Kwara teams participating in all competitions.

Kazeem said this would assist in complementing government's efforts, as government alone could not continue to shoulder the responsibility of youth and sports development.