Nigeria is Ready To Host Youth Olympic Games in 2022....Minister of Sports Assures IOC

Nigeria has officially made a proposal to the International Olympic Committee to host the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Abuja. By Afolabi Oni At a video presentation held in Abuja on Sunday, the Nigerian delegation comprising the Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Barrister Solomon Dalung, the Permanent Secretary Mr Adesola Olusade, the Nigeria Olympic Committee President Engr Habu Gumel, officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Dalung assured the visiting members of the International Olympic Committee IOC that Abuja will be ready to host the games if Nigeria gets the nod. In his remarks, Barrister Dalung commended the IOC for considering an African host for the event. "I want to commend the IOC for developing a mechanism for Africa to be taken along through the changes introduced in the organization of the Youth Olympics. I want to assure you that the capacity of the country to deliver is not in doubt. We will ensure that we package a brand of the Youth Games which after 2022, will set an agenda for the IOC to emulate. " Abuja is ready to host because we have hosted international competitions in the past. Moreover, the IOC has emphasized that countries seeking to host the games should not build new structures but improve on their existing ones or make use of temporary facilities which will be dismantled after the games. We have the organizational capacity, the experience and the technical know-how to host. Abuja as a city has most of the requirements as enumerated to us by the IOC in a video presentation. We hope that at the end of the day, Nigeria will be chosen to host the 2022 Games for Africa,"Dalung said. The members comprising Gilbert Felli, Senior Adviser, Melina Simm, Advisor and Mathieu Pouret, YOG Manager undertook an inspection tour of the Abuja National Stadium and other facilities on Monday while discussions to select the host country continue.