Bukola Olopade Lauds Nigeria Success In Other Major Sports
By Saheed Afolabi
Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), has commented the nation’s success in the advancement of Tennis, Netball and Chess.
Nigerian athletes are competing on major stages in three disciplines that had long been under-supported in Nairobi , Samarkand and Rabat. Olopade described the developments as clear evidence of the renewed energy and deliberate reforms being driven by the NSC.
For the first time, Nigeria is competing at the Africa Netball Cup and the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 African Qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya. The country’s women’s team began its campaign at the continental championship, which runs from September 19 to 26. Nigeria is among 10 nations battling for continental honours and qualification spots for the 2027 Netball World Cup.
At the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Team Nigeria opened its campaign in emphatic style, with both the Open and Women’s teams recording 4-0 victories in Round 1.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s tennis team is in Rabat, Morocco, where it faces the host nation in the Davis Cup World Group II first-round tie on September 19 and 20.
Olopade said the simultaneous progress across the three sports reflects a conscious effort by the NSC to expand Nigeria’s sporting base beyond its traditional strengths.
“In one weekend, Nigeria is breaking new grounds in Tennis, Netball and consolidating in Chess at a global scale,” he said.
“In the last one year, sports that had been abandoned for years have been given new vigor by the NSC and more bread winners have been created and lots more being created.”
The NSC boss noted that the emergence of Nigeria on the netball stage, the strong start by its chess teams in Samarkand, and the return of the tennis team to the upper tiers of Davis Cup competition all underline the growing competitive opportunities now available to Nigerian athletes.
Olopade believes these developments reinforce the Commission’s broader objective of building a sports ecosystem capable of producing elite performers, securing international recognition and creating sustainable opportunities for athletes across multiple disciplines.
