Team Nigeria departs for inaugural African School Sports Championship in Algeria
A 60-member contingent of student-athletes has departed Nigeria for Annaba, Algeria, to participate in the inaugural African School Sports Championship scheduled to hold from July 26 to August 5, 2025.
The Nigerian team will compete in 10 sporting disciplines, including athletics (12 athletes), swimming (8), football (18), taekwondo (4), beach canoe (4), badminton (3), basketball 3×3 (3), beach volleyball (2), cycling (2), and table tennis (2).
Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, described the event as a landmark in Nigeria’s grassroots sports development efforts. He emphasized the importance of nurturing young talent and creating pathways from classrooms to international competition.
“This championship means a lot to us because it is about planting seeds. These student-athletes are ambassadors of our future,” Olopade stated.
Before their departure, the team held a training camp at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja to ensure adequate preparation.
The Games, organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), aim to promote Olympic values among African youth and provide a structured platform for talent discovery and development.
In compliance with tournament regulations, all athletes submitted valid school certificates. The NSC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), also obtained parental consent for all underage participants.
Nigeria’s participation reflects the federal government’s commitment to grassroots development, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision to establish a sustainable sports ecosystem that nurtures talent from an early age to elite levels.
