On Friday next week, on the 17th of July, Nigeria will be making a bold statement of intent to the global sport community, showing its intention to use the potential of talent of her people in diaspora to raise the standard of sport in the country.
The first ever multi discipline sports meet for diaspora Nigerians will hold in the Hertfordshire Sports Village at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
The event, put together by the National Sports Commission-established Diaspora Sports Committee will be used to raise the bar, to complement the huge efforts being made to build sports from all quarters and to create an enabling platform for Nigerians globally to feel welcome and integrate them into the country’s sport ecosystem.
At the 17/7 event, there will be exhibition appearances for netball as Nigeria is preparing its very first national team in the sport to compete in World Cup qualifying later this year. The netball team will play an international match against their Pakistan counterparts. There will be a basketball match as a Team Diaspora will be unveiled. Football will also be on exhibition as will taekwondo, golf, table tennis.
The leaders of Nigerian sports – NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, Director General Bukola Olopade and Committee Chair Tunde Adelakun will be on hand to engage with athletes, coaches and parents to present the Nigeria dream and a concerted desire to re-establish Nigeria as a proper force in global sports.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK – Ambassador Amin Dalhatu – will also be honouring some Nigerians based in the UK with special recognition that will enable them go out and present Nigeria in the light that it deserves to be known for, at the event.
‘We are very excited. There is a lot going on in the world that encourages us and makes us see the importance of diaspora input in sports everywhere’ Dr ‘Tunde Adelakun, Chairman of the Committee says. Continuing, ‘we have put together a team that is identifying talent all over the world. We are building a Team Diaspora that will be a pathway to national team appearance for aspiring sports stars of Nigerian origin but based outside of Nigeria to compete in the name of Nigeria’.
It promises to be a groundbreaking event and there is genuine excitement and a big buzz around this event.