Spanish La Liga giant FC Barcelona and the Sri Lankan government have agreed to partner with Nigeria on football and cricket development, respectively.
These were part of the benefits of Nigeria’s participation at the 2023 World Football Summit in Seville, Spain.
The Sri Lankan government is partnering with Nigeria in the development of cricket and hockey, while the Barcelona Innovation Hub registered its readiness to collaborate with Nigeria in the areas of football education and training.
Following fruitful discussions with Sri Lankan officials, the delegation at the World Football Summit under Senator John Owan Enoh’s leadership revealed that the South Asian country will provide technical assistance for the development of cricket and hockey in Nigeria.
Sri Lanka has steadily ranked among the top nations in cricket globally since 1965, when it joined the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The South Asian country won the ICC World Cup in 1996 and emerged as runners-up in 2007 and 2011.
In the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka were champions in 2014 and finished runners-up in 2009 and 2002. The nation sits in history as six-time champions of Asia, 2002 Asian Test winners, and gold medallists in cricket during the 2014 Asian Games.
In a similar vein, Barca Innovation Hub, a sports innovation and education organization run and owned by La Liga powerhouse FC Barcelona, expressed its willingness to collaborate with Nigeria through its football federation.
The Hub is known for its expertise in coaching education, sports nutrition, sports analytics, sports business, science, and related technology and innovation.
Senator Enoh, in a statement issued by his media aide, Kola Daniel, on Saturday, said Nigeria was excited about the prospects of the collaborations, which are part of the outcomes of the country’s participation in one of the football showpiece gatherings in Spain.
He said the Sports Ministry will keenly pursue the dividends of the meetings, with measurable deliverables placed on specific timelines.
