Coal City Games 2026: National Sports Festival Zonal Eliminations begin September 12
Preparations for the 23rd National Sports Festival, tagged Coal City Games 2026, are entering a decisive stage, with zonal eliminations for team sports scheduled across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones from September 12 to 15.
The four-day exercise will determine the teams that qualify for the National Sports Festival, which will be hosted by Enugu State.
The zonal competitions will feature basketball, cricket, football, volleyball and beach volleyball in both male and female categories.
Under the qualification guidelines, the top two teams from each of the six geopolitical zones in the designated team sports will secure places at the national festival. Host state Enugu, however, will receive automatic qualification in all the featured team sports.
The Main Organising Committee (MOC) has directed zonal coordinators to step up preparations and submit proposed venues for the various competitions.
Coordinators have also been instructed to ensure strict adherence to the rules and regulations of the Games to guarantee fairness, transparency and a level playing field for all participating teams.
The 23rd National Sports Festival, themed “Excellence, Sportsmanship and Unity,” is scheduled to take place in Enugu from November 27 to December 11, 2026.
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