The official draw ceremony for the Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 to place teams into three groups was held on May 13, 2022, at the Detroit Athletic Club (DAC). In the male 11-aside division, Nigeria has been drawn into Group C alongside Japan and Jamaica.

The unified football tournament, modeled after the FIFA World Cup and presented by Toyota, will begin on the 31st of July in Detroit and will bring over 300 athletes from 25 countries around the world to compete in Unified Sports® which 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.

Special Olympics Nigeria athletes are upbeat as they intensify their training in preparation for the game. Team Nigeria’s first group stage match will be against Japan on the 1^st of August 2022, followed by a match against Jamaica the following day.

The Unified Cup is expected to attract 10,000 spectators, 1,000 volunteers, and 500 family members and dignitaries, all with the common goal of breaking down social barriers through the joy of sport and the power of inclusion. Following the inaugural competition in Chicago in 2018, the Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 will be the second tournament in this single-sport series.

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.