FG to select 740 young athletes for drone soccer league

President of the NDSL, Sam Gadi, briefing the press. Photo: Deborah Tolu-Kolawole

The Federal Government will select about 740 young athletes from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for its inaugural Drone Soccer League, scheduled to begin in 2027, as organisers seek to use competitive sport to develop technical skills among young people.

The President of Nigeria Drone Soccer, Sam Gadi, disclosed this on Thursday during the league’s first national combine in Abuja, where prospective participants underwent screening to determine who would represent their respective states.

Gadi said each of the 37 teams representing the states and the FCT would comprise 20 cadet athletes, adding that thousands of young people had applied to participate in the competition.

He explained that the selection process involved an aptitude test, a statement of purpose and a complex coordination test, with candidates’ overall scores determining who would make the final teams.

“We have about 37 teams, each team representing a state and the Federal Capital Territory. On each team, you have 20 of the best cadet athletes representing the state,” he said.

According to him, candidates with the highest scores would be selected to represent their respective states and proceed to training and competitive activities ahead of the national league.

“Through that, there is an overall score, and those who score the highest will ultimately be chosen. Once they are selected, they will proceed with their various teams and compete competitively,” Gadi added.

He said the league would be organised across six conferences based on the country’s geopolitical zones, with a combine planned for Gombe to select participants for the North-East Conference.

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The initiative is expected to introduce young Nigerians to drone technology through organised competition while providing opportunities to develop skills relevant to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Drone Soccer League, Lieutenant Coopwood, described the sport as an emerging platform for promoting STEM education and preparing young people for careers in technology.

He explained that drone soccer, which originated in South Korea, involves players remotely operating drones enclosed in protective spherical cages to score goals against opposing teams.

According to him, the sport combines entertainment with practical learning, helping participants develop teamwork, discipline, problem-solving abilities and technical competence.

“Drone soccer is more than a sport; it is a pathway into science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” Coopwood said.

He added that participants could progress from learning to operate and repair drones to designing and building them, potentially opening up career opportunities in engineering, programming and aviation.

“A child who begins by playing drone soccer today could eventually become a drone engineer, programmer, designer or professional pilot of unmanned aircraft,” he said.

The league’s planned launch in 2027 will mark a new phase in the organisers’ efforts to combine youth sports with technology education, with state-level teams expected to train and compete through the conference structure before the national competition.