Edo State Sports Commission is preparing a ‘special squad’ for the 2023 National Youth Games scheduled to begin in Asaba, Delta state, on September 20.
It was learnt, yesterday, that the athletes and officials are camped at Etete, GRA. Speaking on the readiness of Team Edo for the Seventh National Youth Games, the state Director, Sports Development and Operations, Mr Charity Igbinosa, stated that the commencement of two weeks camping is to give the young athletes the opportunity to get used to the equipment, adding that the chairman of the Sports Commission, Olympian Yusuf Alli, has given approval to their requests and released all that is needed to ensure adequate preparations for the Games.
According to him, Team Edo is preparing a contingent of about 223 of both athletes and officials to feature in 23 sports in Asaba. A total of 5,742 registered participants are expected at the Youth Games in Asaba with 34 sports to feature.
Meanwhile, athletes have been advised to stay away from performance enhanced substances as it has damaging effects on their lives in the future. Dr Femi Ayorinde gave the advice while giving doping enlightenment to coaches and secretaries of the Kwara State Sports Commission. He warned that taking banned drugs could, among other things, affect reproductive systems in the future. He said it could also result to abnormal behaviours and serious health consequences.
All drugs, he said are poison, and athletes must be careful that the drugs they use does not contain banned substances. “In the case of prescription of new drugs from the hospital of which you don’t know whether it contains banned substances, you must make application from the anti-doping agency for clearance,” he said.
Ayorinde also disclosed that any banned coach must not be seen training athletes anywhere and if such happens, the coach and the athletes risk being banned for life.
