The Forum of State Directors of Sports/General Managers in the country has threatened to boycott the 2026 National Sports Festival, tagged Coal City Games, if the National Sports Commission (NSC) fails to return the traditional sports, as well as some Olympic events and board games, earlier removed from the festival.

The NSC, however, is maintaining its stance that only 15 sports and six optional games will feature at the Coal City Games.

In a letter tagged “Position of Forum of State Directors of Sports/General Managers,” issued by its secretary, and Oyo State Director of Sports, Oyo State, Tunde Ajibike, which was made available to The Guardian, the directors said:

“Having deliberated extensively on the issue of the reduction in the number of sports for the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Enugu (Coal City 2026), we hereby state that it is important to note that the NSC did not align with the resolution reached at the Calabar meeting, where it was expressly agreed that states’ directors of sports would be actively involved in the decision-making process regarding the selection of sports for the festival.

“This agreement was not honoured. Consequently, the directors of sports were excluded from the selection process, and we strongly oppose this action in its entirety.”

The Forum maintained that the traditional sports, as well as some Olympic sports and board games that were removed, must be reinstated, adding: “Failure to do so will compel the directors of sports/general managers across the country to withdraw participation from the festival.

“We further state that the NSC does not directly manage athletes and coaches at the state level and may not fully appreciate the extensive processes, planning, and resources required to train and prepare athletes throughout the year. It is therefore unacceptable that, after such investments and preparations, certain sports are arbitrarily removed, with assurances of alternative arrangements that are neither clear nor credible.”

“Another issue of concern is the suggestion that participation in the Paralympic Games serves as a qualification criterion for the National Sports Festival. The Forum queries whether there is any statutory provision supporting this claim.

In line with the directors’ ultimatum to the NSC on the reduction of the number of sports, some northern states have threatened to stay away from the Coal City 2026 Games. This is coming on the heels of a similar threat by some South-South states that are also not happy with the scaling down of sports events for the Coal City Games.

Speaking at the weekend, the Niger State Sports Commission chairman, Abdullahi Masu, described as “unjustifiable and detrimental to sports development” the decision by the NSC to reduce the number of sporting events from 40 to 15.

Masu noted that northern states, including Niger, have already invested significant resources over the years in training athletes for the now-excluded events, arguing that the decision would marginalise the region, which traditionally has a comparative advantage in several team sports.

According to him, participation in the festival under such conditions would amount to a waste of public funds, as many athletes would be denied the opportunity to compete.

He lamented that several popular and foundational team sports—such as handball, volleyball, basketball, football, and hockey—have been removed from the festival’s lineup, stressing that their exclusion could lead to increased unemployment among athletes and undermine grassroots sports development.

But the NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, described as “unfortunate” the action by those calling for the reversal of the decision reached at the last National Council of Sports Meeting in Calabar.

Speaking with The Guardian, Olopade said: “It is sad that some people don’t understand present realities. To host the National Sports Festival is expensive, and the NSC is trying to make things easy for the host states. This is not new.

Even at the Olympic Games level, the number of sports was reduced from 35 to 25, and there was no protest. When last did our handball, volleyball and other sports qualify for the Olympic Games?

“We can no longer accommodate all these ball games in the National Sports Festival. We have asked the presidents of the affected sports federations to come up with two of three yearly programmes, which the NSC is ready to support financially.

“You don’t need to wait for the National Sports Festival before you organise events for your federation. We are going on with 15 sports at the Coal City Games,” Olopade stated.