By Our Staff
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2023 National Youth Games currently holding at Asaba, Delta State, Monday, explained that all the athletes participating in the game are provided with enough facilities for their comfort.
The LOC, while reacting to a social media reports that claimed that some athletes were left to sleep on the floor, dismissed the reports as untrue and fallacy, and urged the media to become partner in progress by investigating and confirming whatever reports they wished to publish.
The Project manager Hostel and accommodation, Dr Ademora Aare, who addressed press conference on behalf of the organisers of the game, said they have provided them with mattresses, water, detergents and other facilities.
According to him, the officials even provided more temporary bathrooms/toilets at the places where they were been camped such as Dennis Osadebey University where there are about 1,800 contingents, 1000 contingents at Technical College, 1000 contingents at Infant Jesus, and about 400 been camped at AGGS.
Aare added that there were surge in numbers of contingents from each state from the initial plan of 5000 plus to over 7000 participants for the game, including the fact that the camps are currently on session for examinations.
"We want to inform you that no child sleeps on the bare floor as far this game is concerned. We bought enough mattress. When we found out that many states brought in more contingents outside what they registered, we brought extra mattress from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
"We were expecting about 5000 people but ended up gotten over 7000 contingents. We can't send them away due to what they passed through to be here. That was why we pleaded with AGGS to accommodate about 400.
" We even provided temporary toilets and bathrooms at some hostels. We provided all of them with soaps, toilet tissues, water, etc. And we are always visiting them to ensure that none of the wards is been mistreated," he noted.