Tinubu’s sports agenda already yielding grassroots results — Olopade
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for transformative grassroots sports development is already producing tangible results, citing the introduction of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) at the National Sports Festival as a key example.
Hon. Olopade emphasized that grassroots sports development is a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE), with the President giving full backing to the Commission’s efforts.
“We understand that the foundation of our sports renaissance is an intentional focus on the grassroots cadre of our sports pyramid. This is why the IJA project is very dear to the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and myself,” he said.
He explained that the inclusion of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) as the “38th state” at the National Sports Festival in Ogun State is a potential game changer, designed to build a steady pipeline of top talent for major international competitions.
“The Commission has also been able to send about 19 different national teams to various international competitions thanks to the kind of financial backing and support we are getting from Mr. President,” he added.
Highlighting breakthroughs in lesser-known sports, Olopade noted, “We are now excelling in sports Nigeria was never known for before, like the performance of the Nigeria U19 Cricket Team at the World Cup in Malaysia, where Nigeria finished fifth globally.”
He continued, “Recently, Nigeria’s young swimmer Abdul Tabur Adama shone at the Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Egypt, winning gold and setting two new records in the 50 meters. We also saw success in sports like badminton with Eniola Bolaji at the World Para Tournament in Spain, wrestling in Morocco, and weightlifting in Mauritius, just to mention a few.”
Olopade concluded by reaffirming that these achievements are only possible due to the strong support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who remains deliberate about the vital role sports play in advancing the broader Renewed Hope Mandate for the country.
