Asaba 2023 NYG: Okowa recieves SWAN EXCO, frowns at false reportage

The Chairman of Delta state Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa has expressed displeasure over reports by some negative minded reporters that suitable accommodations were not provided for athletes at the ongoing 7th National Youth Games.
He made his position known when he received the National Executive Committee of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) led by it’s President, Isaiah Kemje Benjamin in his office in Asaba, the Delta State Capital.
He revealed that the picture which was circulated online was taken when some state arrived very late at night and an emergency arrangement was made to accommodate them before being moved to one of the hostels the following mourning and wondered why the reporter did not do proper investigation before going to press
According to him the fact that Delta State could host over 13,000 athletes and officials at the 2022 National Sports Festival, is enough evidence that the state is capable of hosting and accommodating 5000 athletes.
“The truth of the matter is that some states contingents came very late with more than the number of registered athletes and officials and they were left to manage themselves that night”.
“The participating states are not complaining. I want you to go round and see whether the athletes and officials are happy. The issue basically was necessitated due to the postponement and it was picture taken on the arrival day,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that when a man is trying to work and serve to the best of his abilities, some people will be busy cooking up false stories just to pull him down and I think it’s is not the best and our sports can never grow like that
“At the international level, how many of our people are at the top; this is so because before you climb up the ladder, your own country men will pull him down.
“There is nothing wrong in writing, however let us write with facts. Some people, maybe two are trying to pull us down, they are tagging with Sahara Reporters. ”
“Before we started the NYG, we addressed the press and the MOC . You know this Games was supposed to start on 7th but postponed, now schools have reopened and some of these schools because of exams they couldn’t let us use their hostels.
“We agreed with the states that we are not going to provide bed for all, but we will provide mattresses. If we were able to host the 13,000 athletes that came for the NSF, what makes it difficult for us to host about 5,000 athletes” He queried.
In response the President of SWAN, Isaiah Benjamin said that while it’s a fact that it will be difficult to stop negative reports from some sessions of the media, he assured Okowa that the association will work towards giving factual and professional reportage on the ongoing Games.