Team Nigeria step up 2026 Youth Olympics prep

Team Nigeria’s young athletes have stepped up preparations in Abuja for the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, which begin on October 31.

The athletes are undergoing intensive training as they work towards peak fitness, confidence and match readiness for the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games, and the camp reflects their determination to represent the country with pride.

The Games run from October 31 to November 13 and will bring together about 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under.

Events will be staged across three zones, Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. It will be the first time an Olympic event is held in Africa.

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, said the Games offer a chance to identify, nurture and expose Nigeria’s next generation of sporting stars, and to strengthen the pipeline of athletes for future Olympic competitions.

Nigeria will also have a familiar face in Senegal.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic wrestling silver medallist Blessing Oborududu is one of 31 elite athletes picked by the International Olympic Committee as Athlete Role Models, who will mentor young competitors during the Games.

Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories