FCT’S SPORTS STRIDES EARN NSC RECOGNITION AS EKO 2026 FRAMEWORK TAKES SHAPE
By: Gyang Dakwo
The Federal Capital Territory’s sustained participation in local, regional and national sporting competitions has earned recognition from the National Sports Commission (NSC), which commended the FCT Administration for its support for sports and commitment to Team FCT’s participation in the maiden National Intermediate Games, EKO 2026.
The recognition comes as the FCT builds on an impressive outing at the last National Sports Festival, where Team FCT finished eighth overall on the medals table among the 36 states and the FCT.
With the FCT Administration’s approval of Team FCT’s participation in EKO 2026, the territory is set for another national sporting assignment. The Games are scheduled for October 1 to 15 in Lagos and are expected to attract more than 14,000 young athletes from across the country.
The NSC’s commendation was contained in a press release issued after a meeting of the Joint Technical Committee in Lagos, chaired by NSC Director General and Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, Bukola Olopade.
Olopade described the Intermediate Games as an important link between grassroots participation and elite competition, saying the event would help identify young athletes with the potential to progress into future national teams.
According to the commission, that development pathway will extend beyond EKO 2026 as athletes identified at the Games will be combined with selected Diaspora athletes to form the core of Nigeria’s Invited Junior Athletes team for the National Sports Festival in Enugu.
Participating states and the FCT are expected to cooperate with the NSC and National Sports Federations by making identified athletes available for approved national assignments and subsequent development programmes.
For the young athletes heading to Lagos, however, participation will come with strict eligibility requirements. Only athletes born between January 1, 2008, and September 30, 2011, will be allowed to compete, while NIMC verification, approved documents, and physical screening will be used to establish their ages and identities.
The Joint Technical Committee also approved changes to the competition programme. The 5,000 metres will be an official athletics medal event, while weightlifting medals will be awarded according to overall performances in approved weight categories rather than separately for the Snatch and Clean & Jerk.
Mixed Team Taekwondo has been removed from the official programme, while Netball and Teqball will be staged as demonstration sports without medal status.
Preparations for the arrival of a large number of athletes are also underway. The commission said 16 hostels comprising 38 buildings and about 12,800 beds had been earmarked for accommodation.
A decentralised feeding system will provide breakfast and dinner at accommodation centres, with lunch served at competition venues. Transport arrangements will combine road, rail and water services where appropriate.
Medical teams will be deployed at competition venues and accommodation facilities, with the UNILAG Medical Centre designated as the primary referral facility. Ambulances will also be available at competition venues.
States and the FCT are required to nominate Chief Medical Officers and complete the prescribed medical assessments and health screenings before the Games.
EKO 2026 will also use a digital management system, with an official website, mobile application and QR code-enabled platforms supporting accreditation, results management, data administration and communication.
Following inspections of competition and non-competition facilities, the Lagos State Local Organising Committee has been directed to complete outstanding remedial works and venue requirements before contingents arrive.
The NSC commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Lagos State Government, FCT Administration, National Sports Federations, participating states and other stakeholders for their support for the Games.
For the FCT, the recognition comes at a time when sustained administrative backing has kept the territory consistently represented across the sporting calendar, while its eighth-place finish at the last National Sports Festival provides a strong platform for Team FCT to test its next generation of athletes at EKO 2026.
