Cosmas Chukwu, Enugu
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on Friday, unveiled the Mascot to signal the commencement of the 2026 National Sports Festival tagged “Coal City Games.”
Unveiling the Mascot code-named “Odum Eze, Lion King,” Gov. Mbah, represented by his deputy, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai said that the Festival promises to the best capable of meeting world expectations.
Mbah also pledged that there would be no cheating throughout the competition because Enugu is expected to lead in the hosting of the festival.
“We expect the sports festival that will be devoid of cheating. We expect a sports festival that the media will write after we have concluded that at no time in the history of this country did we have a sports competition that met world expectation because we always want to lead,” he said.
The governor said that the Mascot, Odum Eze, was chosen because it symbolised the seat of power in Enugu, Enugu State Government House, the Lion Building, which by extension symbolises strength, valour, leadership and discipline.
He therefore charged the athletes to show strength and discipline throughout the Festival. “The athletes need strength and discipline,” he said.
To see that sports is developed in the state after the Festival, Gov. Mbah called on the National Sports Commission to look into schools sports where talents could be harnessed, lamenting that Nigeria was doing well in sports in the past but seems to be taking the back seat now.
Earlier, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, expressed joy that Enugu would be the second state to host the festival in the South East after Imo State since the 1980s.
Olopade said that it also gave him joy that Enugu which he called his own state got the bid to host the Sports Festival, noting that it took his home state, Ogun three attempts to get the hosting right.
The NSC boss noted that before now, the Festival was rotating between the South West and the South South but has now shifted to Enugu in the South East
He however expresses the view that with the preparation made so far, Enugu is ready and ripe for the games.
“After the inspection yesterday, we came to the conclusion that Enugu is ready. We are very much impressed with what is going on in Enugu,” he said.
Olopade noted that some finishing touches are still needed to get everything ready like the Swimming Pool and the Indoor Sports Hall, but expressed view that everything would be ready before the games kick off in November.
According to him, the Federal Government had decided that it would be assisting hosting states in getting the infrastructure ready for sports festivals, not leaving it in the hands of the host states alone.
He equally expressed hope that the Coal City Games would emerge the best in Nigeria.
“This is going to be the biggest and highest sponsored sports festival in the history of Nigeria,” he declared.
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