The joint technical committee of the forthcoming 1st National Intermediate Games has rolled out an elaborate line of strategies that would help officials verify authentic ages of competitors during all the events.
Sports247 reports that, heading into the start of competition on October 1st in Lagos, the technical committee placed strong emphasis on the ideals, values and integrity of the Games, with authenticity set to be achieved through comprehensive age verification.
These updates were revealed in a press statement by National Sports Commission (NSC) director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade’s special assistant on media, Kola Daniel, who stressed the importance of athletes complying with required age restrictions for next month’s Games.
Daniel further revealed that the committee ruled that all participating athletes will be required to undergo prescribed verification procedures that include checks of NIMC data, approved documentary requirements and physical screening.
He also disclosed that the technical committee projected into how talents discovered at EKO 2026 can be used in the future as Nigeria’s representatives in continental and global competitions, which would depend largely on continued communication after the upcoming Games.
The DG’s media aide added, “The Games will also serve as a major talent identification platform for Nigeria. Athletes identified through EKO 2026 will be integrated into a structured national athlete-development pathway.
“Athletes discovered at the Games are to be combined with identified Diaspora athletes to form the core of Nigeria’s Invited Junior Athletes national team for the National Sports Festival in Enugu.
“The committee further affirmed that athletes identified through the Games are national assets and called on participating states to cooperate in releasing identified athletes for approved national assignments and subsequent development programmes.”
