Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, and the National Sports Commission, NSC, have unveiled the official mascot for the 2026 National Sports Festival, tagged “Coal City Games,” assuring that the state would deliver a competition that meets international standards. The mascot, named “Odum Eze, Lion King,” was unveiled by Mbah at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, at the weekend.
Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, said the choice of the lion was deliberate, noting that it represented Enugu State’s seat of power, while also symbolising strength, courage, leadership, and discipline. According to him, the same qualities would also be expected of participating athletes in the games, which will hold from 27 November to 11 December, 2026. “We expect a sports festival that will be defined by integrity.
We expect a sports festival that will depict Nigerian strength, courage, and utmost discipline. “We expect a sports festival that the media will write, after we have concluded, that we met world standards and surpassed all expectations,” he said. He, however, lamented that Nigeria, which once enjoyed a strong reputation in international sports, had lost ground and needed to return to a system that nurtured talents from the grassroots.
The governor, therefore, called on the NSC to pay greater attention to school sports as part of efforts to revive sports development and discover young talents across the country. Earlier, the Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olapade, expressed excitement at Enugu’s hosting rights and preparations, as the state would become the second South-East state to host the National Sports Festival since Imo State hosted the event in 1998.
Olapade, who described Enugu as his home state, said the hosting rights represented a significant development for the region and the state, noting that the festival had historically rotated largely between