The director-general of Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has declared that the upcoming multiple-events competition for intermediate talents will provide a platform to boost proper progression of Nigerian athletes into the senior ranks.
Sports247 reports that Olopade reckoned that the competition, which will start in Lagos on October 1st and is officially identified as the 1st National Intermediate Games, will lead to the discovery of new future stars for the country.
He added that the NSC has already focused attention on major technical and operational arrangements for the Games tagged EKO 2026, with a view towards making the maiden edition of the sports fiesta not only memorable but also effective.
‘DG’ further revealed that the joint technical committee has formally approved rules on athlete eligibility, talent identification, competition procedures, accommodation, transportation, medical services and digital management.
Olopade also disclosed that these decisions were reached during a meeting of the joint technical committee at Sam Shonibare Community Development Centre, Surulere, Lagos, which he presided over as chairman of the main organising committee (MOC).
Present were members of the MOC, national sports federations, participating states, zonal coordinators, technical sub-committees and officials of Lagos State’s local organising committee, who also had an inspection of facilities as part of ongoing preparations for the Games.
Olopade reaffirmed the National Intermediate Games as a critical addition to Nigeria’s sports development pathway, particularly in creating a structured bridge between junior discoveries at the grassroots and elite athletes for national and international events.
“Our aspiration is that this Games would provide an important platform for talent identification and athlete progression, while ensuring that young athletes with potential are identified early and provided with opportunities to develop into future national team athletes,” Olopade submitted.
Sports247 gathered further that a major resolution of the meeting was a confirmation that participation in EKO 2026 will be restricted to athletes born between January 1, 2008, and September 30, 2011, for which the MOC was directed to harmonise regulations in technical documents and issue the necessary clarification.
