John Mikel Obi is aiming to use his new Back2Base project to help young, talented Nigerian athletes. Mikel, who last week announced his retirement from professional football, is eager to pave the way for others to achieve sporting success in the same way he did.
Back2Base is a multi-sport program providing aspiring athletes the platform to showcase their talents in sports like football, basketball and tennis. The inaugural edition of the program was held in Lagos from June 9–11, 2022, at the University of Lagos Sports Center in Akoka.
Mikel has expressed his willingness to use the Back2Base project to give back to society. He explained:
“It is a platform where you go to the basics, where I started from, which is playing on the red sand, around stones and hard rocks. We want to go get these raw talents, these kids that we know can become something in life.”
The former Chelsea midfielder and Super Eagles captain continued: “If any of the talents is up to what we are looking for, then we will definitely provide the chance for them to go abroad.
“I have been out of Nigeria for so many years, [but] I have my connections. We need to first of all get them to establish themselves here, then we will see who is ready to go over there.”
