2024 NYSC Sports, Cultural Festival Preliminaries Kick-Off In Ogun Zone
CHIGOZIE AMADI
As the 2024 edition of the annual National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) sports and cultural festival competition commences nationwide, the south-west zone has been declared open on Thursday.
Speaking at the flag-off of the South-west zonal preliminaries holding at the Gateway International Stadium, Sagamu, the Ogun State NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Olayinka Nasamu welcomed athletes and officials from Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Lagos, Kwara and Ekiti states that made up the zone to the competition.
Nasamu said the NYSC has remained focused on its mandate of mobilizing and training youths for national integration, leadership roles as well as promotion of patriotic values.
She noted that sports has become a potent force for the promotion of national unity and urged the competitors and athletes to eschew violence but exhibit good sportsmanship without inflicting injury on one another
Mrs. Nasamu said, “Socialise amongst yourselves and play fairly. This is not a do-or-die affair; it is only a competition. Showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural values from the different parts of the country to attract the interest of fellow corps members and Nigerians in general.”
She encouraged the male and female participants to foster friendship as the competition commences in other parts of the country and prayed for a hitchfree games and their safe return to their respective states of deployment.
The Ogun State team to the competition are already in the Delta State zone where they are competing for laurels in football, volleyball, drama and basketball.
The NYSC Sports and Cultural Festival dates back to several decades where Corps Members were given rooms to showcase their talents in the sports segment which include football, volleyball and athletics
The competition has produced talents from within the Corps Members making them national and international champions and providing them opportunities to become celebrities as they promote national unity and cohesion.
