The National Sports Commission (NSC) has defended its decision to exclude certain sporting disciplines, including Deaf Sports from the upcoming National Sports Festival, maintaining that participation must be earned through established competitive standards and year-round activity.
The clarification follows a public protest by athletes under the Deaf Sports Federation on Monday in Lagos. They voiced their grievances over their exclusion from the multi-sport event scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 11 in Enugu State.
Speaking on behalf of the commission, Michael Obasi, Special Assistant on Media to NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade, clarified that the policy was not designed to marginalise any federation, but rather to reposition Nigeria’s premier sports tournament into a prestigious, high-caliber, and commercially attractive event.
Shift Toward an Olympic-Style Qualification Model
Obasi emphasised that the NSC is adopting an Olympic-style framework requiring federations to demonstrate sustained developmental activities and organized competitions across states before qualifying for major national events.
“The festival is not just a place for jamboree. Before you are qualified to feature at the festival, that means that sport has been doing a good show in all states,” Obasi said.
He criticised the trend where some federations remain inactive throughout the year, only relying on the National Sports Festival to bring athletes together.
“NSC is adopting an Olympic-style model in which sports federations will demonstrate consistent competitive activities before qualifying for major sporting events,” he noted, adding that the festival often dubbed Nigeria’s “mini-Olympics” should not be treated as an all-comers affair.
While acknowledging that funding constraints contributed to the need to trim down the number of participating sports, the media aide reiterated that the overarching objective is to enhance the festival’s marketability, glamour, and competitive rigor.
Obasi revealed that Director-General Olopade had previously outlined this policy shift to federation leaders during a National Council on Sports meeting in Calabar.
Addressing the recent demonstrations, he urged affected federations to abandon public accusations and engage the commission constructively through official channels.
“Rather than blackmail the sports commission, they should make genuine arguments for their sport,” Obasi stated, adding that the NSC remains open to considering well-founded appeals from federations that can demonstrate the active growth, value, and competitive readiness of their disciplines. (NAN)
