The Minister of Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, has said that the just-concluded National Youth Games (NYG) in Abuja has thrown up about 370 talents.

Abdullahi said this while declaring the 9-day Games which had 31 states and the FCT in attendance, closed on Saturday.

A member of the Talent Discovery Committee for the Games, Brown Ebewele had said on Friday that about 204 potential athletes were discovered at the fiesta.

Ebewele, however, said the number could increase at the end of the Games.

According to Abdullahi, the absence of Lagos, Jigawa, Ekiti, Edo and Zamfara, did not take away the shine from the Games.

He, however, commended the states that took part in the games, especially Yobe and Borno, for their participation, in spite of the security challenges in the zone.

Abdullahi noted that the participation of both states was an indication that the nation’s youths had a passion for sports.

He urged the athletes not to relent in their efforts to further develop themselves after their successful participation at the Games.

The minister said that the athletes could have the opportunity to represent the country in future international championships.

“‘This shows that you can truly win in the future, not just for yourselves, but for the nation,” he said.

The minister commended the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for staging a successful Games.

31 states and their athletes took part in the march past that marked the end of the games, which had about 4,000 athletes and officials.

The week-long event, which began on December 6 with an opening ceremony,  ended yesterday with the departure of the contingents from the athletes camps located in Kubwa, Sauka and Wuse.