NSC Approves 32 Sports For 2024 National Sports Festival In Ogun

The National Council on Sports has taken an important step towards enhancing the 2024 National Sports Festival by officially approving a structured cap of 32 sports.

The council made this decision during an Extraordinary Council meeting held on Wednesday, April 17, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, following a thoughtful memorandum presented by the National Sports Commission.

A communiqué from the NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, confirmed that the 32 sports will include 27 compulsory events alongside a maximum of five optional events, which will be selected by the host state.

The decision aligns with Rule 11 of the general rules and regulations for the 2024 National Sports Festival, reaffirmed by the Council during this meeting. This rule was initially established at an earlier Extraordinary Council in Benin City in 2019.

The Council has curated the list of compulsory sports based on their popularity across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as historical participation data from past festivals and the country’s international performance in these sports.

The 27 compulsory sports represent key competitive and developmental priorities for Nigeria, including athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, cycling, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, karate, kickboxing, kung-fu, para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, scrabble, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling.

Furthermore, the host state is empowered to choose up to five events from a pool of 25 optional sports to complete the 32-sport programme.

Note that the 22nd edition of the National Sports Festival tagged the Gateway Games, is set to take place in Abeokuta, Ogun State, from May 18 to 30.