Nigeria Makes Strides in Tennis, Netball, Chess as Olopade Hails Sporting Resurgence
Oru Leonard
Nigeria is recording significant progress across multiple sporting disciplines, with the country making its debut at the Africa Netball Cup, posting a strong opening result at the FIDE Chess Olympiad and competing in the Davis Cup World Group II.
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, described the developments as evidence of renewed momentum in Nigeria’s sports sector.
Nigeria’s women’s netball team is competing for the first time at the Africa Netball Cup and the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 African Qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya. The continental competition, which began on September 19 and runs until September 26, features 10 countries competing for continental honours and qualification opportunities for the 2027 Netball World Cup.
Meanwhile, 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.
In tennis, Nigeria is in Rabat, Morocco, for the Davis Cup World Group II first-round tie against the host nation, scheduled for September 19 and 20.
Olopade said the simultaneous participation and progress of Nigerian athletes in the three sports demonstrated efforts to expand the country’s competitive sporting base beyond traditional disciplines.
“In one weekend, Nigeria is breaking new grounds in Tennis, Netball and consolidating in Chess at a global scale,” he said.
The NSC DG added that sports which had received limited attention over the years were being revitalised, creating new opportunities for athletes and other stakeholders in the sports economy.
“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,” Olopade said.
The NSC said the developments in Nairobi, Samarkand and Rabat reflect its broader objective of building a diversified sports ecosystem capable of producing elite athletes, expanding international opportunities and creating sustainable livelihoods through sports.
