Special Olympics Nigeria has been announced among the twenty-five teams that will be participating in the Unified Cup 2022 presented by Toyota and supported by Hometown Sponsor, Ally Financial from July 31 to August 6.

The tournament will be hosted in Detroit, Michigan, USA, and is the second-ever tournament in this single-sport series, following the inaugural competition in 2018 in Chicago. Over 300 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities from around the world will join to celebrate the power of sports to drive inclusion through camaraderie, competition, and breaking down social barriers.

Other selected Special Olympics teams to participate in the tournament are:

Female teams – Burkina Faso, Caribbean (Haiti, Aruba, Bahamas), Costa Rica, Egypt, Guatemala, Bharat (India), Mexico, Russia, Slovakia, Serendib (Sri Lanka), the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S.

Male teams – Brazil, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Nippon (Japan), Korea, Morocco, Paraguay, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the U.S.

Special Olympics Unified Sports brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to play on the same team, demonstrating how playing and competing together breaks down barriers and ultimately creates communities of acceptance and inclusion.

Competition and events throughout the week are expected to attract more than 10,000 spectators, 1,000 volunteers, and 500 family members and dignitaries to the tournament. Additionally, the competition will be broadcast by ESPN and reach millions of viewers across the globe.