Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday congratulated Team Delta on its great feat of winning the just-concluded 6th National Youth Games (NYG) for the sixth time.

Okowa commended the team for its commitment and determination, which culminated in its unprecedented dominance of the games, emerging champions consecutively at all the six editions since it debuted.

In a congratulatory message contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba, the governor expressed delight that the team did not just emerge winners but surpassed its last year’s record in winning the competition.

He congratulated the athletes, their coaches and the management of Delta State Sports Commission on the great record, describing it as “stunning and unprecedented“.

Okowa ascribed the successes recorded by the team to the huge investment of the state government in sports, assuring that talents discovered at this year’s games would be nurtured and mentored to become future stars for the state, country and the world.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I congratulate Team Delta for making us proud again by winning the 6th edition of the National Youth Games

“Your continuous emergence as winners of the competition is as a result of our strategic planning and huge investments in sports development.

“We have continued to use sports as a unifying factor in our multi-ethnic state, and this has helped us in bringing the youths together to pursue greater ventures for their own good and that of our state in particular, and Nigeria in general," he said.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Sports for organizing the Games and called for more stakeholders’ involvement in funding sports development in the country.

In the 2021 edition, which held in Ilorin from Oct. 10, 2021 to Oct. 19, 2021, Delta came first with 114 medals - 60 gold, 26 silver and 28 bronze.

Lagos State emerged second with a total of 72 medals comprised of 19 gold, 25 silver and 28 bronze. Edo finished third, winning 40 medals – 18 gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze.