7th National Youth Games starts on a shaky note in Delta as gate collapses on Athletes

By Akpos Oghenetega,

The 7th National Youth Games (NYG) which is ongoing at Stephen Keshi International Stadium, Asaba, Delta State started on a shaky note on Saturday as there was pandemonium following the collapse of one of the gates injuring some athletes.

Advocate.ng gathered that one of the gates to the main bowl of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, which has hosted international sports events suddenly collapsed on a middle-aged woman said to be an athlete sending athletes and officials into panic mode.

Recall that in the past two major sporting events hosted by the state the Stephen Keshi ‘International’ Stadium, also recorded fire incidents and another collapsed structure under construction leading to grievous injuries of those working on site.

The victim of Saturday gate collapse, our correspondent gathered was immediately rushed in an ambulance to a yet-to-be-disclosed medical facility within Asaba, and over 24 hours after the incident the organizers and Delta State Sports Commission are yet to issue an official statement about the incident.

According to eyewitness accounts, the condition of the victim could not be handled by medical personnel at the clinic stationed at the stadium for the ongoing National Youth Games.

Last week before the commencement of the National Youths Games in Asaba, the state capital, some Delta state athletes camped for the National Youth Games (NYG) had protested against what they termed “poor feeding conditions, poor water, and electricity supply as well as unhygienic environment” in their camp in Delta State.

The young male and female athletes who are between the ages of 10 to 20 had accused the chairman of the state Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa, and officials of the commission of taking advantage of them to amass wealth saying he never bothered about their welfare, especially in the areas of good food, water, and electricity supply in their camp.

The athletes also accused the commission’s chairman, Tonobok Okowa, who is the younger brother to the immediate past governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa, and one Festus Owhojero, director of the Audit department of awarding the cooking contracts in the athletes’ camps, and supply of other consumable items to their sisters, wives, relations, and girlfriends.