Several northern states have threatened to boycott the 2026 National Sports Festival scheduled to be held in Enugu State in November, following the reported exclusion of multiple sporting events from the competition.
The Chairman of the Niger State Sports Commission, Abdullahi Masu, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Minna.
He expressed strong dissatisfaction with the decision by the National Sports Commission to reduce the number of sporting events from 40 to 15, describing the move as unjustifiable and detrimental to sports development.
Masu noted that northern states, including Niger, have already invested significant resources over the years in training athletes for the now-excluded events.
He argued that the decision would marginalize the region, which traditionally has a comparative advantage in several team sports.
According to him, participation in the festival under such conditions would amount to a waste of public funds, as many athletes would be denied the opportunity to compete.
He further lamented that several popular and foundational team sports—such as handball, volleyball, basketball, football, and hockey—have been removed from the festival lineup.
He warned that the exclusion of these events could lead to increased unemployment among athletes and undermine grassroots sports development.
Masu described the decision as a setback to national sports growth and called for its immediate reversal.
He urged the National Sports Commission to review and expand the list of events to accommodate broader participation and safeguard the interests and welfare of athletes.
The NSSC chairman also questioned Enugu State’s capacity to host the festival under the current arrangement, suggesting that the hosting rights should either be transferred to a more capable state or shared to ensure inclusivity and full participation.
He appealed to the leadership of the National Sports Commission to act swiftly in addressing the concerns raised, emphasising that limiting participation to only 15 sports federations is inadequate for a national event of such significance.
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