The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has opened up on the idea behind the Invited Junior Athletes Category at the National Sports Festival.
The IJA initiative is made up of young, talented athletes across multiple sports, which is aimed at sports development, and it will debut at the Gateway 2024 Games, billed to start in two weeks.
Olopade has charged the athletes to take advantage of the opportunity to make history for Nigeria at the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta.
He said, “This is the first time Nigeria is having this sort of arrangement. That means for those of you who finally make it to Abeokuta, your names will be written in the history book forever. So work very hard to qualify to go to Abeokuta.
“We created the Invited Junior Athletes concept because we believe in the talents of young people who are bound in this country. If you have gone to the Youth Games and you are a champion, let us then see how you grow into the elite cadre. And the only way you can grow into that cadre is by competing and beating the elite athletes.
“I want to assure you all that if you win 10 gold medals at the festival in Ogun State, you will receive a big gift from the chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko.
“Once again, I have come to say thank you for your service to the nation, thank you for loving what you know how to do best and above all, to charge you with this thing that you have started. May God lead and guide you all to greater heights.”
The NSC DG reminded the athletes that they are the future of the country’s Sports and that is why Mr President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, backed the Commission to create the IJA concept for the sports festival, starting with the Gateway Games.
Young athletes across multiple sports have been selected to feature as the 38th state at the Sports Festival.
The IJA will compete in about nine sports at the Gateway Games, which include athletics, badminton, football, para athletics, swimming, table tennis, tennis, wrestling and weightlifting.
