The director-general of Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade has predicted that accelerated progress will be gained in the sector through the introduction of Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) initiative next year.
Sports247 reports that the IJA initiative, which will be introduced during the 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State, is meant to spot talented teenagers from various states and make them compete against seniors in a major competition.
Olopade explained that the specially selected young athletes, who will compete under the flag of IJA, will take the total number of contingents expected at the next sports festival to 38.
He affirmed that Gateway Games 2024 – which will now take place from May 16 to 30, 2025 – will be an ideal platform to launch IJA and create a stronger process of discovering future sports stars for Nigeria.
“It’s about proper development in sports,” said Olopade, who is also chairman of the main organising commitee (MOC) for Gateway Games 2024 in the Ogun State capital, Abeokuta.
“When you think about IJA, (it stands for) Invited Junior Athletes who will be participating from all the states. This is for the first time in the festival, and that should be a catchy headline for the media.
“It’s towards a new sustainable strategy of empowering young people and creating job opportunities across board.”
The NSC top shot went on to reveal the personal satisfaction he will get from seeing the special contingent of IJA contest for medals next year in The Rock City and neighbouring venues for the festival.
Olopade added, “I am excited about IJA. I want to see the Invited Junior Athletes who may likely come in various sports and defeat established athletes.
“I am looking forward to seeing that happen. In fact, I’ll be rooting for IJA, not Ogun State. If, peradventure, they defeat Ogun State and Delta, so be it.”
He noted further that the IJA initiative will take the focus of sports beyond merely competing for medals, as it would also ensure strong financial bases for various athletes and help to improve Nigeria’s economy in the long run.
Olopade expatiated, “It goes to the core of what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked us to do.
“Create a sports economy that is sustainable, create a veritable tool of empowerment for our young people and create a system that will ensure that podium placement comes with ease in the nearest future.
“Don’t forget that (NSC chairman) Mallam Shehu Dikko and I have created a new structure within the system called the Elite Podium Group, which is oriented towards very articulate top sports leaders.
“Among them that I can mention now is Yusuf Alli. He will be the one to galvanise the project. We also have Bambo Akanni, who will be the consultant across all sports.
“The intention is to pick out the special talents that we intend to start looking after and engage them in so many ways, so that the podium stand is solid for us.”
Olopade concluded by pointing out that IJA has many immediate and long-term targets, which he noted can only be realised with total support from all Nigerians, especially the media, who he enjoined to key into various commercial aspects of the project.
“It’s not just for the 2028 Olympics but starting from the International Wrestling Championship we are hosting in March, through to the World Athletics Championship and World Relays. A lot of goings will happen in the course of time.
“We can only but beg for your cooperation as our partners from the media and also challenge you to seize the opportunity to leverage on the new strategy of creating a sports economy that can create entrepreneurs from those who have spent all their lives doing sports.
“It’s time for you to start making money and monetizing whatever content you are generating in sports. We all must benefit from this initiative,” Olopade submitted emphatically.
