The Nigeria Drone Soccer League (NDSL) is targeting about 740 young athletes from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of its inaugural season in 2027, with organisers beginning a nationwide screening exercise to select participants.

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

Gadi said the initiative was designed to identify young talents and equip them with practical skills in drone technology through competitive sport.

He said each state and the FCT would field a team of 20 cadet athletes, bringing the total number of participants to 740 across the 37 teams.

According to him, thousands of young people applied to participate, but only the highest-scoring candidates would be selected through a structured assessment process.

“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,” Gadi said.

He explained that the selection process involved three assessment methods: an aptitude test, a statement of purpose and a complex coordination test.

The candidates’ overall scores would determine those selected to represent their respective states in the competition.

“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,” he said.

Gadi added that the league would operate across six conferences structured around the country’s geopolitical zones, with a combine scheduled for Gombe to select athletes for the North-East Conference.

He said successful candidates would undergo training and participate in organised competitions ahead of the national league’s commencement in 2027.

The Chief Executive Officer of the NDSL, Lieutenant Coopwood, described drone soccer as an innovative platform for promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education among Nigerian youths.

He said the sport, which originated in South Korea, involves players remotely operating drones enclosed in protective spherical cages to score goals.

Coopwood said the activity goes beyond entertainment by developing teamwork, discipline, problem-solving abilities and technical skills.

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

According to him, participants can progress from learning to operate and repair drones to designing and building their own devices.

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