CitySports Africa has announced the 2025 edition of its Global Sports Programme (GSP), an international youth sports development initiative for young African athletes. The first phase of the 2025 edition is set to happen in June, while another holds in November 2025 across different sports.

This June, young athletes from Nigeria will be flying the nation’s flag in Stuttgart Germany, Dubai UAE, and Barcelona Spain for football, swimming and basketball respectively, as part of CitySports Africa’s initiative to spotlight talent, resilience and the future of youth sports on a global stage.

The institution is on a mission to impact 10 million youths by 2035, with a yearly goal of reaching one million youths each year. This global programme is one of the many development initiatives CitySports has lined up across the different sports it currently offers for children between the ages of 4-22.

Speaking at a media parley at the company’s head office in Victoria Island, Lagos, CEO Citysports Africa, Shola Opaleye said, “The GSP serves as a gateway for young players to gain international exposure, experience world-class coaching, and compete with peers across borders. It exemplifies CitySports Africa’s mission of building bridges between local talent and the global sports ecosystem.”

He added: “When we launched the Global Sports Program (GSP), the mission was simple: put young talents on a path to global recognition. Fast forward 13 international trips later, and we’ve seen how these experiences build confidence, unlock opportunities, and shape future champions! More than just competition, GSP is a platform for growth, exposure & game-changing opportunities.”

He went further to give a brief itinerary of the international tournaments in June. The football tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, is happening between June 6 and 8, 2025. This tournament would feature players in three categories, U9, U12 and U15.

The swimming championships will hold at the iconic Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai happening between June 14 and 15, featuring participants between the ages of seven and 17, and the basketball tournament happening in Barcelona, Spain from June 27 to 29.

On the preparedness of the athletes, the football coach, Mr. Bamidele Nurudeen, went on to say that the teams train four times a week with a focused training regimen and the individual runs, which further helps them to develop speed, stamina and endurance.

The same could be said for swimming and basketball, as the athletes go through an intense training process fit for global competitions of that nature.
Speaking on the impact of the tournaments to Nigerian youths, swimming coach, Mr. Kolawole Ogunsemore highlighted the character-building aspect of the international competition. He said ‘It’s not just about winning; it’s about building character and instilling in the athletes the leadership and exemplary traits that set them apart from others.

Basketball coach, Mr. Tochukwu Nsofor, equally shared insights on some of the success stories over the years, the victories that the team experienced in the previous tournaments, and how they are positioned to win in the upcoming tournaments.

Established in 2019, CitySports Africa, has earned a reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading youth sports organisations by delivering quality development sports programmes that have not only enhanced athletic skills but also fostered vital leadership qualities and community engagement, providing youths with opportunities for personal growth, teamwork, and resilience.