State Sports Directors Reject Event Cuts For Enugu 2026 Festival
State Sports Directors Reject Proposed Reduction of Events for Enugu 2026 Festival
Forum Faults NSC Over Exclusion From Decision Process
THE Forum of State Directors of Sports and General Managers has rejected the proposed reduction in the number of sporting events for the 2026 National Sports Festival scheduled to take place in Enugu State.
In a statement issued after deliberations, the forum accused the National Sports Commission (NSC) of failing to honour an earlier agreement reached at a stakeholders’ meeting in Calabar, where state directors were expected to play an active role in selecting sports for the competition.
The statement, signed by Secretary Tunde Ajibike, the Interim Chairman and the Public Relations Officer, described the exclusion of state officials from the process as unacceptable.
Demand for Reinstatement of Removed Sports
The forum called for the immediate restoration of all traditional sports removed from the programme, as well as certain Olympic events and board games.
According to the directors, states invest heavily in athlete preparation, coaching and logistics throughout the year and should not be confronted with sudden changes after committing resources.
They argued that the NSC, which does not directly manage athletes and coaches at state level, may not fully appreciate the planning and funding burden carried by state governments.
Threat of Nationwide Withdrawal
The directors warned that failure to address their concerns could lead to a nationwide withdrawal of participation by states.
They further stated that if the host state lacks the capacity to stage all approved sports, the hosting rights should be reviewed and reassigned to a better-prepared state, citing previous precedents.
The disagreement now raises uncertainty over participation levels at the festival, tagged Coal City 2026.
