With just 11 days to go before the much-anticipated 22nd National Sports Festival — the “Gateway Games” — begins in Abeokuta, Ogun State, an electric current of excitement is sweeping across the nation.
But while attention turns to veteran athletes and state teams preparing to battle for glory, a quiet revolution is underway — one that could shape Nigerian sports for decades to come.
Read Also: Silencing Critics With Action: How Dikko and Olopade Are Quietly Redefining Nigerian Sports
That revolution has a name: The Invited Junior Athletes (IJA).
Born from the vision of the National Sports Commission (NSC), the IJA initiative is not merely a program — it’s a movement. Crafted with intent and heart, it represents one of the most impactful youth development strategies in the nation’s sporting history.
Affectionately dubbed the “38th state,” the IJA team brings together over 100 of Nigeria’s most promising teenage athletes. Handpicked from every corner of the country, these young stars are preparing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with seasoned competitors across 11 carefully selected sports — from athletics to para-sports, swimming to wrestling.
What makes the IJA so compelling isn’t just their talent — it’s the spirit they embody. These aren’t just athletes-in-training; they are dreamers, warriors, and torchbearers of a brighter sporting future. They represent the unshakable belief that greatness doesn’t wait for age or experience — it starts with opportunity.
Thanks to the NSC’s foresight, these young competitors are being given something money can’t buy: a platform. They will not just watch greatness unfold; they will live it, breathe it, and one day, surpass it.
Inside the IJA camp, the atmosphere is electric. Coaches speak with pride. Athletes train with hunger. Every sprint, serve, and lift is a declaration: We belong here.
As the Gateway Games prepares to host over 12,000 athletes across more than 30 sports, many will chase medals, but few will capture hearts like the IJA. For in their story lies something deeper than gold — the story of a nation believing in its future, investing in its youth, and daring to dream bigger.
This is more than sports. This is legacy in motion.
And to the National Sports Commission: job well done. The entire nation is watching — and cheering
