Hockey will not be part of the upcoming 23rd National Sports Festival, known as Enugu 2026. The sport is missing from the events planned for the zonal qualifiers.
A letter from the Main Organising Committee, dated August 24, was sent to zonal coordinators. The letter states that the zonal eliminations will kick off on September 12 in all six geopolitical zones. However, only five sports are included for the qualifiers.
The chosen sports are basketball, cricket, football, volleyball, and beach volleyball for both male and female athletes. Unfortunately, hockey and abula, which were played in the previous Games in Ogun State, have been left out.
Teams that finish in first and second place in the zonal eliminations will qualify for the main events of the National Sports Festival in Enugu. Enugu is set to host the next NSF in November 2024, but the exact dates for the Games have not been announced yet.
The reason for dropping hockey is thought to be due to the lack of a suitable facility in Enugu. There are reports that Delta State is being considered as a possible alternative venue.
In May, the National Sports Commission confirmed that only 20 sports would be included in the Games. At the last two editions of the Games, there were 39 sports, including demonstration events.
Lloyd Ekweremadu, the Enugu State Commissioner for Sports, mentioned that the decision to limit the number of sports to 20 was made during the National Council of Sports meeting in Calabar, Cross River State, last year.
He noted that reducing the sports to 20 is in line with international standards. He also stated that Enugu is prepared to host the 2026 NSF in the last quarter of the year.
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