More than 200 athletes are set to gather at Abuja’s Moshood Abiola Stadium for the first Traditional Sports National Open Championship, scheduled to run from August 14 to 16.
The three-day competition will include five disciplines: Abula, Ayo, Langa, Dambe and Kokowa, said Abdullahi Libata, Technical Director of the Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria.
Libata explained that the championship would give competitors an opportunity to display their skills while helping protect, celebrate and advance Nigeria’s extensive traditional sporting culture.
He said the federation anticipated participation from over 200 athletes, with Abula, Ayo, Langa, Dambe and Kokowa all included in the inaugural national event.
Beyond the competition itself, the championship is intended to uncover promising athletes from different parts of Nigeria and support their development.
Libata also said the federation, led by President Senator Obinna Ogba, was determined to transform the standing of traditional sports and secure wider attention for them at home and abroad.
He added that Ogba’s administration was working to move the sports forward and ensure they receive the recognition, investment and growth required both nationally and internationally.
