By Tayo Ogunseye
Senior Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Grassroots Sports Development, Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, has applauded the organisers of the 1xCup 2026 for providing a platform to discover and nurture young football talents across the country.
Adeboye gave the commendation at the final of the 1xCup 2026, where he described the standard of football on display as world-class, insisting that Nigeria must intensify its investment in grassroots sports development.
Tonic FC defeated Young Strikers 4-2 on penalty to earn the 10 million naira prize money.
He noted that many of the country’s football stars emerged from grassroots communities such as Ajegunle and Lagos Island, stressing that competitions like the 1xCup could help identify the next generation of national team players.
“What we have seen today, the organisers of the 1xCup have shown the whole world that we have to go to the grassroots. We have to encourage grassroots sports to get the best talents from competitions like this,” he said.
Adeboye expressed satisfaction with the quality of football displayed by the young players, adding that the competition had demonstrated the abundance of football talent across Nigeria.
“What we have seen so far is a first-class game, a world-class game. That is why we can get a lot of talent from this grassroots competition. I am very happy for the organisers and the players,” he added.
He further expressed confidence that the tournament could produce players capable of representing Nigeria at various levels, including the national under-17 and under-20 teams, as well as the senior national team, the Super Eagles.
Adeboye also used the occasion to emphasise the importance of the proposed Grassroots Sports Summit, explaining that the initiative was designed to showcase Nigeria’s commitment to developing sports from the foundation.
According to him, grassroots development must become a major priority if the country hopes to build a sustainable sporting system and compete effectively at the highest level.
He cited the performances of young athletes at the last National Sports Festival as evidence of the potential within the grassroots, revealing that some athletes aged 14 and 15 delivered impressive performances against established competitors.
“The young athletes we took to the last National Sports Festival were under 15 and under 14, and they performed wonderfully well. They were able to beat the so-called elite stars,” he said.
Adeboye maintained that Nigeria had enormous untapped sporting potential, urging stakeholders to channel more attention and resources towards grassroots development.
He stressed that the Grassroots Sports Summit would serve as an opportunity to communicate Nigeria’s determination to prioritise talent discovery, development and progression across different sporting disciplines.
