By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, Director-General of the Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, are expected to attend the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Talents Development Committee Trials scheduled for July 17 at the Hertfordshire Sports Village, University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
The event, organized by the Nigeria Diaspora Talents Development Committee established by the National Sports Commission, is aimed at identifying and nurturing athletes of Nigerian descent living abroad for future national representation.
According to the organizers, the multi-sport trials will bring together invited athletes from across the diaspora to compete in different sporting disciplines, with outstanding participants expected to form Team Nigeria Diaspora for the National Intermediate Games scheduled for October.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Tunde Adelakun, said the initiative was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s talent pipeline and reduce the loss of promising athletes to other countries.
He noted that the programme would complement the National Sports Commission’s grassroots sports development efforts by identifying talented athletes early and integrating them into Nigeria’s sporting system.
Adelakun said the presence of Dikko, Olopade and Ambassador Dalhatu underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to using sports as a vehicle for youth development, national pride and global competitiveness.
He explained that participation in the trials is strictly by invitation, with athletes carefully selected by the committee to showcase their abilities and explore opportunities to represent Nigeria internationally.
The one-day event will feature exhibition matches and mentorship sessions across several sports. Nigeria’s diaspora-based national netball team will face Pakistan in an exhibition game, while former D’Tigress captain and five-time African champion Dr. Sarah Ogoke will lead a basketball exhibition.
Other attractions include a taekwondo demonstration, a golf clinic led by Nigerian Women’s PGA Tour golfer Georgia Oboh, and a table tennis mentorship session by seven-time Olympian Funke Oshonaike.
In football, former Super Eagles stars Seyi Olofinjana and Carl Ikeme will conduct coaching drills for invited players as part of efforts to discover new talents for Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams.
Adelakun expressed optimism that the initiative would mark the beginning of a deliberate strategy to harness the vast pool of Nigerian sporting talent in the diaspora and strengthen the country’s future performances on the international stage.
