EDITOR: EZINWANNE OKWUOLISA
Preparations for the 23rd National Sports Festival, tagged Coal City Games 2026, have entered a crucial phase, with zonal eliminations for team sports scheduled to take place across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones from September 12 to 15, 2026.
The eliminations will serve as a major qualification pathway for teams seeking to compete at the National Sports Festival, which will be hosted by Enugu State.
The four-day exercise will feature basketball, cricket, football, volleyball and beach volleyball, with competitions in both male and female categories.
Under the Festival’s qualification rules, the top two teams from each geopolitical zone in the designated team sports will earn tickets to the national competition. Host state Enugu, however, will enjoy automatic qualification in all featured team sports.
The Main Organising Committee (MOC) has directed zonal coordinators to intensify preparations for the eliminations and submit proposed venues for the various competitions.
The coordinators have also been charged with ensuring strict compliance with the rules and regulations of the Games to promote fairness, transparency and a level playing field for all participating teams.
The 23rd National Sports Festival, themed “Excellence, Sportsmanship and Unity,” is scheduled to hold in Enugu from November 27 to December 11, 2026.
