President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given a charge to the country’s National Sports Commission (NSC) to ‘comb for athletes of Nigerian origin across the world, no matter where they are,’ in order to bring more laurels for the nation on the global scene, Sports247 reports.
This charge was disclosed by the NSC’s director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade, while speaking at the maiden multi-sports gathering of the country’s sports stars and youths born abroad organised by Nigeria Diaspora Talents Development Committee (NDTDC) in England.
Olopade stated further during the competition among Nigerian disapora athletes at Hertfordshire Games Village in the UK that it was a giant step towards ensuring that the country can pull home top-grade and highly-rated global sports stars, rather than lose them to their countries of birth.
Speaking against the backdrop of 18 players of Nigerian deccent who featured for different countries at this year’s FIFA World Cup, where England won bronze with Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, while Michael Olise featured against them for France in the third place match, Olopade reassoned that they all could have been playing for the Super Eagles.
He, however, expersssed satisfaction that Team Nigeria’s contingent to the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland has a large number of talents born abroad to parents from the country and enthused that they can pull out sterling results from the competition starting on Thursday.
“I addressed the team in Aberdeen and it was a composition of about 60% athletes from the diaspora. We have been given the mandate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to comb for athletes of Nigerian origin across the world no matter where they are.
“Let’s just look at the World Cup and see how easily we would have won it with our children. Eighteen of our boys played for other national teams, three played for England. Enough is enough. We want to take care of our children from a very young age to elite sports level.
“These countries only reckon with you when you are doing well and discard you when you are done. But for Nigeria, you will always be a Nigerian. When you think there is no hope, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, there is renewed hope for all of you.
“Take advantage of this platform to show the world that you are gifted, and we are here to support you. Nigeria has the resources to take care of our young athletes and we will do that,” Olopade declared emphatically.
Sports247 reports further that ‘DG’ also stated confidently that the country’s contingent will excel at Glasgow 2026, ahead of which they will travel out of their training camp in Aberdeen on Tuesday.
