Enugu 2026 National Sports Festival will be exciting, says Okorie

United States-based former Nigeria hurdler, Victor Okorie, has declared that the 23rd edition of the National Sports Festival scheduled to hold in Enugu State in 2026 will be the best ever.

Speaking with The Guardian from his base in United States, Okorie, a board member of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), said: “Enugu 2026 NSF will be the greatest ever going by the arrangement already being made by the government and people of the State.”

The 2026 edition will be the second National Sports Festival to hold in the Southeast in history of the Games. In 1998, the festival held in Owerri, Imo State.

Okorie, who won a silver medal in the 400m hurdles for Nigeria at COJA 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja, stated that the choice of Enugu for the 2026 edition was perfect.

“I started my athletics career in Enugu, and I know more about the sports culture of the people.

I spoke with the Sports Commissioner of Enugu State a few days ago, and I can tell you that the government is already planning ahead the National Sports Festival in 2026. The city has been starved of a major sporting event for so long, and everybody is happy looking forward to the 23rd edition of the National Sports Festival,” Okorie, who is AFN’s Performance Director, stated.