By Solomon Nwoke
IN a bid to identify and promote talents who will represent West African countries in subsequent editions of Youth Olympic Games, the 16 states of West African countries have formed a body, ‘West Africa School Sport Union’ (WASSU) to organise  Games for their athletes.

Intimating the media last weekend in Lagos, the President of WASSU, Dr Thomas Adeleke Olaiya, the immediate past President of the Nigeria School Sport Foundation (NSSF) and his aides from the neighbouring West African countries said the body was first established on an interim basis in 2004 and became fully operational in 2009.

WASSU, he said, aims to provide a forum for the integration of all West African youths, especially with regards to ECOWAS developmental principles, which encourage active sportsmanship among boys and girls in primary and secondary schools.

The Games are slated to run from 11-20 September,2011 in Lagos for the raw talents under the ages of 12, 15 and 17 years.

“We shall identify and encourage active sportsmanship amongst the myraid of enthusiastic, naturally talented but poorly exposed and gifted boys and girls in our communities and countries. We shall build them through appropriate exposures at the various championships in the continents to the standard that they can confidently compete with the bests in the world”, Dr Olaiya said.

Athletes would compete in 12 events which include Football, Basketball, Handball, Volleyball, Athletics, Table Tennis, Tennis, Judo, Sw3imming, Gymnastics, Wrestling, Badminton among others

According to him, WASSU is the umbrella body charged with the responsibility of developing school sports in pre_tertiary institutions across West Africa. He noted: “It was established on an interim basis in 2004 and became fully operational in 2009.

“The union comprises 16 West African countries, namely: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Liberia, Benin Republic and Mauritania.”

“Undoubtedly, the objective of WASSU, among others, is to promote unity, peace, culture, art and a cultism-free environment in educational institutions while seeking to advance human capital development and youth empowerment among young students in the West African sub-region,” he said.

Assuring the body of their hosting ability, the State Commissioner for Sport Lagos, Prince  Ademola Adeniji_Adele, affirmed that the games are in line with the state’s ideal, which is developing sports from the grassroots. The commissioner said that facilities are in place for the state to host the multi-sports tourney.