Nigerian contingent departs for African school sports in Algeria

A contingent of student-athletes have departed Nigeria for Algeria, to compete in the inaugural edition of the African School Sports Championship, taking place from 26th July to 5th August, 2025.

The athletes, 60 in number, will represent Nigeria in 10 sports namely athletics (12), 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), Honourable Bukola Olopade, while describing the event as a milestone in Nigeria’s grassroots sports journey said it is a deliberate attempt to create pathways from the classroom to the global stardom.

The DG said, “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.”

The Games, organised by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), aim to instill Olympic values in African youths and provide a structured platform for talent identification, integration and development at the grassroots level.

In line with guidelines, all participating athletes were made to submit valid school certificates while the NSC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), also secured paternal authorizations for all underage athletes in coordination with their families.

The team, before their departure, were camped at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, where they underwent training.