Chijioke Gabriel
In a new development in Nigeria’s sporting environment, Nigeria’s U-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, have been invited to participate at the 2024 National Sports Festival as part of a new group of Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) introduced by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The IJA is a pioneering initiative of the NSC, created to nurture young talents from across the country in various sporting disciplines. The group, effectively serving as the 38th state at the Festival, will make its debut at the Gateway 2024 Games, scheduled to begin on May 16 in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Over 100 teenagers have been drafted into the IJA team, which will compete in 11 events, including athletics, football, table tennis, wrestling, swimming, badminton, weightlifting, tennis, para-athletics, and more. The selection, according to the NSC, was designed to match Nigeria’s areas of competitive strength and serve as a platform for grooming future stars for national and international representation.
It was gathered that the Flamingos will represent the IJA in the women’s football tournament, where they are expected to face elite opposition from across the federation.The participation is viewed as both a development opportunity and a competitive test for the squad, which recently sealed qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after comprehensive victories over Algeria and South Africa.
Following their departure from camp in Ikenne recently, the Flamingos will reconvene in Abuja to join the broader IJA delegation and start preparations for the Festival.
Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, who visited the athletes in camp on Wednesday, told the youngsters that their involvement in the initiative marked the beginning of a new chapter in Nigerian sport.
He explained that the IJA concept was designed with the approval and support of President Bola Tinubu, with a long-term vision to integrate junior athletes into elite pathways.
This is the first time Nigeria is introducing this structure,” Olopade said during his visit. “Anyone who earns a spot to represent the IJA in Abeokuta will be remembered as part of a historic moment. You must work hard to qualify, because you are not just representing yourselves, but also a new idea that could shape the future of Nigerian sports.
He added that the IJA programme was built on the premise that outstanding junior athletes, especially those who have excelled at events like the National Youth Games, deserve exposure to higher-level competition.“If you’ve proven yourself at the Youth Games, it’s time to test yourselves against the senior athletes,” he said. “Only through such competition can true growth occur.”
Olopade also promised special rewards for athletes who excel at the Festival. “If anyone from the IJA wins ten gold medals in Ogun State, a significant gift awaits from the chairman of the commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko,” he revealed.The NSC boss concluded by commending the athletes for their dedication, urging them to remain focused and see the opportunity as a stepping stone.
