By Amaechi Agbo
A contingent of 60 student-athletes have departed Nigeria for Annaba, Algeria, to compete in the inaugural edition of the African School Sports Championship, taking place from July 26 to August 5, 2025 in the North African nation.
The athletes will represent Nigeria in 10 sports, which includes: athletics (12 athletes), swimming (8), football (18), taekwondo (4), beach canoe (4), badminton (3), basketball 3×3 (3), beach volleyball (2), cycling (2), and table tennis (2).
Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, described the event as a milestone in Nigeria’s grassroots sports journey.
“This championship means a lot to us because it is about planting seeds. These student-athletes are ambassadors of our future. We are deliberate in creating pathways from the classroom to the global stage.”
Prior to departure, the team was camped at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, where they underwent training.
The Games, organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), aim to instill Olympic values in African youth and provide a structured platform for talent identification, integration, and development at the grassroots level.
In line with guidelines, all participating athletes submitted valid school certificates. The NSC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), also secured paternal authorizations for all underage athletes in coordination with their families.
Nigeria’s participation reflects the federal government’s broader commitment to grassroots development, in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision to build a robust and sustainable sports ecosystem that nurtures talent from an early age and ensures smooth transition to elite performance.
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