Sports Council approves 32 sports for Gateway Games

The National Council on Sports has formally approved a 32-sport cap for the 2024 National Sports Festival in a bid to bring consistency and strategic focus to Nigeria’s premier multi-sport event, The PUNCH reports.

The decision was taken during an Extraordinary Council meeting held on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, following a memorandum presented by the National Sports Commission.

A communiqué signed by the NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, confirmed that the 32 sports would comprise 27 compulsory events and a maximum of five optional events, to be chosen by the host state.

The policy is rooted in Rule 11 of the 2024 National Sports Festival general rules and regulations, which the Council reaffirmed during the meeting. The rule was initially adopted during a previous Extraordinary Council held in Benin City in 2019.

The list of compulsory sports was curated by the council based on popularity across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as historical participation at previous festivals and the country’s performances in those sports at the international level.

The 27 compulsory sports represent a core of Nigeria’s competitive and developmental priorities and include athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, cycling, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, and judo. Others are karate, kick-boxing, kung-fu, para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, scrabble, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling.

The host state will have the flexibility to select up to five events from a pool of 25 optional sports to complete the 32-sport programme.

The Council stressed that the move would stabilise the structure of the festival and prevent unpredictable changes that could complicate planning, logistics, and athlete development pathways.

The 22nd edition of the NSF, tagged Gateway Games, will be hosted by Ogun State in Abeokuta from May 18 to 30.