The world and Olympic champion criticised the “fire brigade approach” to tournaments, which he believes has contributed to the underdevelopment of sports across the country.

Igali emphasised the need for Nigeria to refocus on age-grade competitions if the country wants to excel in international events. He stressed that deliberate steps must be taken to eliminate age cheating, as it defeats the purpose of youth tournaments.

“To address this challenge, we must adopt a proactive approach. The government would have to take sports development seriously,” Igali said.

While commending the Delta State Government for hosting the Youth Games, Igali expressed displeasure over age-cheating in the tournament. He described the youth games as “the most important competition we have in the country today.”

The NWF president frowned at some states’ win-at-all-costs mentality, which he said discredits the efforts of others. He called for the encouragement of grassroots sports development at all levels.

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