The National Sports Commission (NSC) and states' Directors of Sports have resolved issues that threatened to lead some states to boycott the 2026 National Sports Festival, scheduled to take place in Enugu later this year. The aggrieved states had opposed the initial plan to reduce the number of events at the festival, known as the Coal City Games, to 15, arguing that they had already invested time and resources preparing athletes for events that were slated for exclusion.
Extraordinary Meeting in Abuja
An extraordinary meeting of the executive members and zonal representatives with the NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, held in Abuja over the weekend, resulted in an agreement to increase the number of events to 27. During the meeting, Olopade explained that some team sports were initially omitted because they are expensive for states to sponsor, especially since they only yield one medal compared to individual sports. He affirmed that the Federal Government intends to sponsor competitions through various federations at least four times a year, which will expose athletes to more competitive opportunities and prepare them for international events.
Approved Sports for Coal City Games
The meeting agreed on a list of compulsory sports for the festival, including athletics, para athletics, badminton, para badminton, basketball, wheelchair basketball, boxing, cycling, football, and gymnastics. Other compulsory sports are judo, mixed martial arts, swimming, table tennis, para table tennis, tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting, para powerlifting, and wrestling. Additionally, optional sports were listed, including cricket, canoeing, para canoeing, darts, golf, shooting, and para shooting.
Schedule Changes for Other Games
The Coal City Festival in Enugu is set to take place between November and December 2026. Meanwhile, the National Intermediate Games, originally scheduled for August in Lagos, will now be held from October 1 to 15, 2026. Furthermore, the National Youth Games has been postponed from this year to the first quarter of 2027.
