Gateway Games: Olopade Encourages Invited Junior Athletes To Make History

Gateway Games: Olopade Encourages Invited Junior Athletes To Make History

The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has urged the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) contingent to view their participation in the upcoming 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State as a significant step toward their sporting success, reports BSNSports.com.ng.

The DG made this call during his visit to the athletes in their training camp in Abuja on Wednesday, where he engaged them in an encouraging interactive discussion to boost their morale ahead of the Games.

Nigeria's sports scene is currently experiencing a revival with the IJA initiative, which selects the country's top young athletes across various sports to compete as the 38th team at the Sports Festival.

The NSC DG reminded the athletes that they represent the future of the country’s sports. This initiative was supported by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to introduce the IJA concept into the Sports Festival, starting with the Gateway Games.

 "This is the first time Nigeria has implemented this kind of arrangement. For those of you who qualify to go to Abeokuta, your names will be written in history forever. So, work hard to earn your spot in Abeokuta," he said.

"We created the Invited Junior Athletes concept because we believe in the talents of the young people in our country. If you've competed in the Youth Games and emerged as a champion, we want to see how you can advance into the elite category. The only way to do that is by competing and outperforming 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 significant reward from the chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikkko."

"Once again, I want to thank you for your dedication to the nation and for pursuing what you excel at. Above all, I encourage you to continue on this path, and may God lead and guide you all to greater achievements."

The IJA will compete in nine sports at the Gateway Games, including athletics, badminton, football, para-athletics, swimming, table tennis, tennis, wrestling, and weightlifting.