Sports
NSF: Early preparations begin for 2026 National Sports Festival
Early preparations for the 2026 National Sports Festival have commenced in earnest as the Main Organising Committee and Local Organising Committee held a strategic meeting to advance plans for the Coal City Games scheduled for Enugu, Tidesports source reports.
The meeting, conducted on Monday, was chaired jointly by Hon. Bukola Olopade, chairman of the MOC, and Lloyd Ekweremadu, chairman of the LOC, with members of the Secretariat in attendance.
Key deliberations centred on facilities for the Games, with members receiving updates on ongoing construction works and noting steady progress across designated sites.
The committees agreed to conduct their next official visit to Enugu in October 2025 to further assess readiness and provide guidance as preparations advance.
Both committees extended appreciation to Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for the proactive steps taken to ensure contractors mobilised to sites early, demonstrating the state’s commitment to delivering world-class facilities for the historic Games.
Ekweremadu, who also serves as Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, had previously expressed confidence that the state would not only host but win the multi-sports event.
“He appreciates the steps that are to be taken to ensure that Enugu State hosts to win, and bring back our athletes who are competing for various other states,” Ekweremadu said following his inauguration as LOC Chairman.
The commissioner revealed that the state has begun comprehensive recruitment of athletes, making contacts with indigenes and elite athletes both within and outside Nigeria to build a robust contingent ahead of the Games.
Significant infrastructure development is planned for the festival, with the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium set for comprehensive revamping that will make it “unrecognisable” according to Governor Mbah’s earlier statements.
Additionally, a brand new multi-purpose games village will be constructed at the Awgu Games Village site, which currently remains undeveloped.
Davidson Owumi, Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Premier Football League and LOC member, had expressed confidence in Enugu’s ability to successfully host the Games.
“It is very possible considering the antecedents of the Governor and the members of the LOC and the technicalities of the committee. It is possible to achieve the mandate,” Owumi said.
The National Sports Commission remains confident that the Coal City Games 2026 will set a new benchmark in sports excellence, unity, and celebration for Nigeria and beyond.
Enugu will be looking to dethrone Delta State as the defending champions when the 23rd edition of the National Sports Festival takes place in September 2026.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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