The National Sports Commission (NSC) has said that “Invited Diaspora Athletes (IDAs) will make their debut at the first edition of the National Intermediate Games scheduled for Lagos, later this year.

The IDA is one of the many key reforms that the NSC-led leadership of Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade has established as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE).

Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, said since the establishment of the Diaspora Discovery Athletes Committee, which is currently chaired by Tunde Adelakun, the committee had swiftly swung into action with many Nigerians in the Diaspora showing significant interest in competing for Nigeria.

Olopade maintained that this is one of the reasons the Invited Diaspora Athletes team will be fully involved at the Intermediate Games this year in Lagos.

“We are very excited about this initiative because of the immediate and futuristic impact it will have on our sports development. At the Intermediate Games in Lagos, we will be having about 50 athletes who will be coming from the Diaspora, competing for IDA.

“This will surely be another major game changer for Nigerian sports and it will surely upscale the competitive edge of Team Nigeria at major International competitions,” he