Alli: African Youth Games Should Build Future Stars, Not Medal Counts
Yusuf Alli has urged Nigerians to prioritise athlete development over medal expectations at the ongoing fourth African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola, insisting that the competition is designed to nurture young talents rather than chase immediate podium success.
According to a PUNCH Sports Extra report, Alli, the Chief Executive Officer of the Elite Athletes and Podium Board of the National Sports Commission, made the remarks after monitoring the performances of Nigeria’s contingent at the Games.
While he acknowledged that the results so far have been encouraging, he stressed that his excitement goes beyond medal returns.
The African Youth Games, a continental multi-sport event held every four years to complement the Africa Games, is staging its fourth edition since its inception in 2010, with Angola hosting the current competition.
Speaking on his role in Luanda, Alli explained that his priority is to inspire and properly assess the country’s emerging athletes.
‘My job primarily here is to motivate them and see how we can get the best out of them. I am sure they all like it and it will make a big deal for them in the long run.
‘They see me in the same vision with them for their progress, and it also gives me the opportunity to know these young athletes inside out,’ PUNCH Sports Extra quoted him as saying.
Alli, the World and Olympics long jump finalist and former African, Commonwealth Games and World University Games champion, also expressed satisfaction with the age profile of the Nigerian team, emphasizing the importance of genuine age grade development in building a sustainable future for the sport.
‘I like to stand with young athletes, and I enjoy being with them here. When it comes to age grade competitions, I don’t go there just to win, but mostly I see it as a developmental programme.’
‘I believe two, three, four or five of these athletes will make the future senior grades. Some of them are very, very young, and that’s what we are trying to do in Nigeria, to make sure we have athletes of the real ages.’
Nigerian track and field has been rocked by revelations from the Athletics Integrity Unit that 17 athletes have been further exposed as having multiple dates of birth with 16 of the 17 fished out at the African U18 and U20 Championships held in Abeokuta in May.
