NSC DG urges junior athletes to make history at Gateway Games
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has urged the country’s Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) to view their participation in the upcoming 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State as a defining step toward sporting greatness.
Olopade gave the charge during a visit to the athletes’ training camp in Abuja on Wednesday, where he engaged them in an interactive session aimed at boosting their morale ahead of the Games.
He emphasized that the athletes represent the future of Nigerian sports, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu backed the Commission’s initiative to introduce the IJA category into the sports festival, starting with the Gateway Games.
“This is the first time Nigeria is making this kind of arrangement. That means for those of you who make it to Abeokuta, your names will be written in history. So, work very hard to qualify,” he said.
“We created the Invited Junior Athletes concept because we believe in the abundance of young talent in this country. If you’ve competed in the Youth Games and emerged a champion, this is your chance to grow into the elite level—by competing against and beating elite athletes.”
Olopade further encouraged the athletes by revealing an incentive from the NSC chairman: “If you win 10 gold medals at the Festival in Ogun State, you will receive a major gift from the chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko.”
“Once again, I thank you for your service to the nation, for your passion, and for pursuing excellence. May God guide you all to greater heights,” he added.
The IJA contingent will compete in nine sports at the Gateway Games: Athletics, Badminton, Football, Para Athletics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Wrestling, and Weightlifting.
