As Nigeria prepares for one more busy sports activities calendar, ABIODUN ADEWALE writes on the potential success within the yr 2025 and focuses for long-term achievements
If there have been any classes from Nigerian sports activities in 2024, it’s the significance of preparation, strategic planning, and assist for athletes.
From the Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak in February, to the medal-less outing on the Paris Olympics in August, the outgone yr gives insights into the place efforts should be concentrated to beat the challenges confronted, however which may solely be on paper, as we start one other sporting occasion in 2025.
The few triumphs, just like the unbelievable run of the D’Tigress on the Paris Olympics, Ademola Lookman’s rise to the head of African soccer and a string present on the 2023 African Video games in Ghana are worthy of remembrance. Nevertheless, had been these successes a results of a working system or simply cheer particular person brilliance?
This yr, there aren’t any fewer than 10 main championships for Nigerian athletes to attend in soccer, athletics, basketball, cricket, desk tennis, wrestling and different sports activities wherein the nation has exerted some type of dominance, particularly in Africa.
Additionally noteworthy is the actual fact the twenty second Nationwide Sports activities Competition tagged Gateway Video games will now be held in Could (16-30) and the zonal eliminations for group sports activities are scheduled to happen from February 23 to twenty-eight, 2025.
If not postponed, the Nationwide Sports activities Competition would have been the curtain-raiser for Nigerian sports activities in 2025.
Nonetheless, the yr goes to begin with some optimism because the nation’s U-19 girls’s cricket group will probably be competing on the World Cup in Malaysia from January 18 to February 2. Being one of many quickest rising sports activities within the nation, the Junior Feminine Yellow Greens’ participation requires optimism, however warning will probably be required a couple of days later when Nigeria Premier Soccer League stars will probably be vying for honours on the African Nations Championship in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from February 1 to twenty-eight.
Majorly, Nigerians will probably be wanting ahead to the 2025 AFCON which will probably be performed from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco. Earlier than then, the ladies’s version of the event could be performed from July 5-26, additionally in Morocco.
The ‘football-mad’ populace would have additionally identified earlier than the tip of the yr if Nigeria could be enjoying on the 2026 FIFA World Cup within the USA, Canada and Mexico.
In athletics, apart from a busy season for Nigerian athletes, particularly within the NCAA, the key occasion to look ahead to is the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo from September 13-21. Concurrently, the World Wrestling Championships can even be held in Croatia.
Though their qualification remains to be hanging within the stability, the boys’s nationwide basketball group, the D’Tigers, have the AfroBasket arising from August 12–24 in Angola simply as the ladies, the D’Tigress can even have their event from July 25 to August 3 in Ivory Coast Ivory Coast.
How can we obtain excellence?
To begin with, the proposed funds for Nigerian sports activities in 2025 is claimed to be N78bn, N47bn greater than the N31bn budgeted for 2024.
These figures are normally cut up between overhead value, personnel and capital expenditure, which means that respective federations should, ideally, generate funds to attend and organise tournaments or await the last-minute interventions of the federal government once more.
Hopefully, funds received’t be a clog within the wheel of the Nationwide Sports activities Competition as properly.
In essence, the proposed N78bn sports activities funds won’t translate into any type of success for Nigeria within the yr 2025 however insurance policies such because the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports activities Economic system, which was lately launched by the Nationwide Sports activities Fee, can come to the rescue in the long term if carried out correctly.
Based on the NSC, it’s a plan to rework the nation’s sports activities business by means of the Reset, Refocus, and Relaunch initiative, which seeks to reset Nigeria’s sports activities eco-system from a competition-driven to a developmental-driven and value-added business.
“The RHINSE initiative is not only about investing in infrastructure however about redefining sports activities as a nationwide asset however entitled to all of the requisite particular assist, concessions and authorized frameworks to drive progress. It’s a software for unity, cultural promotion, and financial progress, with the potential to uplift tens of millions of our youth and communities throughout the nation,” NSC chairman Sheu Dikko said.
If that isn’t one other English for ‘turning Nigerian sports activities into enterprise’ which is but to materialise, no because of the involvement of state governments particularly, the initiative may set Nigeria on the trail to glory inside three years to a different Olympic Video games in Los Angeles.
The NSC itself is a toddler of necessity and President Bola Tinubu was broadly applauded for reviving it rather than the Ministry of Sports activities Improvement.
So, whereas the NSC is making the strikes when it comes to insurance policies, sports activities federations should rise to the problem because the hub by means of which the wheel of those insurance policies will rotate.
For example, the Nigeria Soccer Federation, maybe realising they maintain the important thing to the largest celebrations within the yr 2025 is optimistic of a terrific outing.
In a press release on Monday, December 30, the NFF president Ibrahim Gusau didn’t mince phrases in assuring that the assorted nationwide groups will give the nation pleasure in 2025, noting that the nationwide groups can conquer Africa and in addition qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
“For certain, it’s a very busy yr for us and world soccer. The NFF is dedicated to working carefully with the Nationwide Sports activities Fee to grasp our targets and goals, and in addition search better company assist for our actions, packages and occasions,” Gusau stated.
“Our consideration will stay on growing the sport from the grassroots whereas making certain that the manufacturing channels for gamers coming by means of to the Nationwide Groups will not be disrupted.”
What can we get?
On the subject of sports activities, it’s pure for Nigerians to boost their hopes however nothing is achieved haphazardly. If actually the teachings of the failures that had been recorded in 2024 are bitter sufficient, Nigerians then have a cause to hope for one of the best and nonetheless count on the worst.
From the house entrance, the Nationwide Sports activities Competition, there have been indications that Ogun State isn’t able to host, particularly when it comes to facility. Now that they’ve extra time to organize, the Gateway Video games has given Nigerians one thing to look ahead to after Governor Dapo Abiodun requested former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua to return to gentle the torch of the Video games come Could.
“I wish to brazenly request that, apart from the truth that we’re going to formally verify you as our sports activities ambassador, we wish to request that you simply come again to gentle up the Gateway Sports activities Competition torch; you can be the one lighting it up,” the Governor stated whereas internet hosting the British-Nigerian boxer of Sagamu descent on Monday, December 30.
Away from house, hopes are excessive about what Nigeria can obtain in 2025.
In basketball, the ladies’s AfroBasket is nearly a yr after the Olympics and the D’Tigress may nonetheless be capable of draw inspiration from their run on the Olympics and declare a fourth successive title in Ivory Coast.
For the D’Tigers, they’ll first should salvage their qualification when the second section begins in February.
In athletics, the World Championships returns in September, giving the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the athletes the duty of avoiding one other empty-handed outing like Budapest 2023 and even the Paris Olympics.
The availability of coaching grants for these observe and discipline stars got here to the fore on the Olympics. Whereas it appears the NSC has discovered an initiative to fund that, it seems just like the fee is doing the athletes a favour, particularly with the case of African girls’s lengthy bounce file holder Ese Brume, who is claimed to be the primary recipient of the grant.
“Once we spoke, I requested her (Brume) what I may inform the Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, to do for her instantly,” NSC DG, Bukola Olopade stated in a press release issued by his media aide, Kola Daniel.
“She made me proud when she stated, ‘All I would like proper now’s regardless of the fee can provide me as a coaching grant to assist me purchase a small automobile so I can proceed my coaching as a result of I wish to win the World Championships in September subsequent yr.’ That touched me deeply.”
Nigeria’s first-ever world champion and world file holder in girls’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, has been coaching with Usain Bolt’s coach Glen Mills in Jamaica. The 27-year-old has had a tough patch in 2024 and it will likely be cheering to see her return to the rostrum in 2025.
In soccer, the AFCON and WAFCON are one other main occasion on the horizon. Having agonizingly completed second in Ivory Coast, Morocco 2025 will take a look at the Tremendous Eagles’ resolve to show potential into victory.
For the Tremendous Falcons, it’s excessive time they reclaimed their spot because the champions of Africa and their handler, Justin Madugu is upbeat about that.
“My objective is to do properly with the group, construct a stable lasting group that may regain our high spot, play soccer with ardour, develop gamers and win the 2025 WAFCON as short-term targets. In the long term, we wish to dominate and compete successfully with respect on the world stage to be rated extremely,” Madugu advised The PUNCH.
When it comes to the competitors Nigeria will face, the outlook for 2025 is one in all cautious optimism. Nigeria can’t solely goal for extra medals but additionally construct a extra strong and inclusive sports activities tradition that celebrates its athletes and their achievements.
The projection for 2025 additionally entails a deeper dedication to grassroots sports activities growth. Investing at school sports activities, native tournaments, and scouting methods that may unearth and nurture the subsequent era of athletes.
