Nigeria Breaking New Ground Across Tennis, Netball, Chess — Olopade

National Sports Commission Director-General Bukola Olopade says Nigeria’s simultaneous participation in major international competitions in netball, tennis and chess reflects a deliberate effort to expand the country’s sporting frontiers.

Olopade made the assessment as Nigerian athletes compete across three international stages this weekend, with the country making its debut in netball, opening its Davis Cup campaign in Morocco and continuing its participation at the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan.

Nigeria’s Green Hawks are making their first appearance at the Africa Netball Cup and the 2027 Netball World Cup African Qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya.

The tournament, which runs from September 19 to 26, features 10 nations competing for continental honours and qualification places for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

The landmark netball appearance comes just months after the Nigeria Netball Federation was established and a national team assembled.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s tennis team is in Rabat for its Davis Cup World Group II first-round tie against hosts Morocco, with the tie scheduled for September 19 and 20.

In chess, Team Nigeria made an impressive start at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with both the Open and Women’s teams recording 4-0 victories in their opening-round matches.

Olopade said the developments across the three sports demonstrated the renewed focus on broadening Nigeria’s sporting ecosystem beyond its traditional strengths.

“In one weekend, Nigeria is breaking new grounds in Tennis, Netball and consolidating in Chess at a global scale,” Olopade said.

The NSC director-general said the administration had also revitalised sports that had previously received limited attention, creating more opportunities for athletes to pursue professional careers.

“In the last one year, sports that had been abandoned for years have been given new vigour by the NSC and more bread winners have been created and lots more being created,” he said.

According to Olopade, Nigeria’s presence across the three international platforms reflects the Commission’s broader approach to developing a more diverse sporting ecosystem capable of producing elite athletes and sustainable opportunities.

The simultaneous participation in the Africa Netball Cup, Davis Cup and Chess Olympiad also provides Nigerian athletes with opportunities to compete against established international opposition and raise the country’s profile across different sporting disciplines.

For the NSC, the weekend represents another step towards widening Nigeria’s competitive presence beyond its established sporting strengths and creating more pathways for athletes to compete at the highest level.