Igali worries about late plans for Enugu Festival

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, Daniel Igali, is worried about the late finishing of key processes for the 2026 National Sports Festival in Enugu.

Igali said preparations for the event, called the Coal City Games, have been different this time. Athlete registration and other important tasks are happening much closer to the event than before.

“Normally, things like athlete registration and similar activities are done about two months before the festival. But this time, many of these things are happening right now, just about a month before the festival,” he said.

The former Olympic wrestling champion also raised concerns about whether Enugu is fully ready. He noted that facility checks have only recently happened.

“Even the readiness of the host state, Enugu, is not fully confirmed, although facility inspections, I think, just took place a few days ago. Also, the number of sports has been greatly cut down. So, this is a different kind of sports festival,” he added.

Despite these worries, Igali said Bayelsa is aware of some challenges and is still training its athletes.

“Of course, because of the uncertainties affecting the usual preparation, many states might not be having it easy. But I can tell you that Bayelsa has seen some of these issues coming and we’ve been preparing our people, our teams, and our athletes,” he said.

Bayelsa is aiming to win the overall title at the festival, with Igali showing confidence in the state’s plans.

The festival is set to start in Enugu on November 28, according to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.