Olopade sees a distant future: ‘The Youth Olympic Games will be the beginning of great things for Nigerian athletes’

The Director General of Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), Honorable Bukola Olopade, has practically become a forward-looking prophet as he predicted better days for the country’s young athletes.

Sports247 reports that Olopade made the prediction while speaking about his expectations for this year’s Youth Olympic Games, which will be held this weekend in Dakar, Senegal and for the first time on African soil.

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To promote his bold projections and as motivation for the country’s athletes, Olopade announced $3,000 cash rewards for gold medalists at the impending multi-sports meet officially dubbed the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics.

He revealed the incentives during a sending off ceremony for the contingent inside the media center of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, where he added that those who win silver will receive $2,500, while bronze medalists will earn $2,000.

Olopade then charged the athletes to carry the Nigerian flag with discipline and patriotism in the global competition, which he described as a unique opportunity and an important milestone in their journeys towards top-level international outings.

He also noted that outstanding performances in Dakar would earn young athletes recognition for major competitions in the coming days, including the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA, and other opportunities to shape the country’s sporting future.

“The Youth Olympic Games in Dakar are very historic and you are making history by being part of the first Olympic Games to be held in Africa. That is why I am very confident that these Games will usher in greatness for all of you,” enthused Olopade.

Sports247 adds that this year’s Youth Olympic Games will take place from this Saturday until November 13 and more than 2,700 young athletes from 205 countries are expected to attend and compete for many medals through healthy rivalries.