MBABANE – The National Youth Games hosted by Eswatini two weeks ago will return to the kingdom in 2028.
This will be so, as the Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maxwell Jele said next year’s edition will be hosted by Lesotho as it has done so, for example in 2025.
The Eswatini National Olympic Committee CEO also described the recent Games as a major success, noting that they also managed to attract Seychelles as a guest nation.
He said the sole purpose of the Games was to identify athletes and further prepare for the Region V Youth Games that will be held in Mozambique in September.
The CEO further said it is expected that next week the overall top performers in each of the sporting codes will be honoured.
The winners in each of the eight disciplines will be awarded a trophy.
Eswatini competed through its four regions:
• Hhohho
• Lubombo
• Manzini
• Shiselweni
According to the provisional results, the host nation’s regions performed superbly, with the majority of the 325 athletes who took part coming from them.
Lesotho brought 10 athletes while Seychelles entered about five competitors in the inaugural Eswatini National Youth Games.
Jele also stated that hosting of the Games is planned to rotate annually between the two countries. He added that the event had also helped put Eswatini on the map.
Among the benefits he highlighted were the push for improved infrastructure in the country and the upskilling of local officials so that they can operate at the same level as their regional and international counterparts.
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