NUJ Selected to Host Akwa Ibom Sports Festival
…Press Centre to host Table Tennis, Karate, Kung-Fu competitions
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council, has been selected as one of the designated venues for the 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival, with its Patience (Kemi) Umo Eno Hall at the NUJ Press Centre, Information Drive, Uyo, scheduled to host three sporting disciplines.
The venue will host competitions in Table Tennis, Karate and Kung-Fu as athletes representing the 31 Local Government Areas of the state converge in Uyo for the week-long sports fiesta.
The Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) and Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, said 27 sports disciplines have been approved for the festival, which is scheduled to run from Tuesday, September 22 to Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
According to the approved venue arrangements, competitions will be held across 10 designated venues in Uyo and its environs, including the Uyo Township Stadium, Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, West Itam Sports Centre, Ibom Hotels & Golf Resort and Nigerian Christian Institute, among others.
The inclusion of the NUJ Press Centre among the designated venues places the facility at the centre of activities during the state sports festival, with athletes, officials and spectators expected to converge at the Patience (Kemi) Umo Eno Hall for the three indoor combat and racket-sport events.
The Uyo Township Stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies, football and Kokowa (traditional wrestling), while the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium will host athletics, para-athletics, weightlifting, kickboxing, boxing, chess, scrabble, Ayo and para-powerlifting.
Other venues include West Itam Sports Centre for basketball, volleyball, beach volleyball and handball; Ibom Hotels & Golf Resort for tennis; NCI for badminton, wrestling, taekwondo and judo; QIC Primary School, Itam Flyover for rugby; Uyo Sports Club for squash; Community Secondary Commercial School, Ibaiku Itam for cricket; and Aka Community Secondary School, Uyo, for baseball.
The MOC is expected to release the official timetable and fixtures ahead of the commencement of the festival to enable participating Local Government Areas, athletes, officials and spectators plan for the various competitions.
The 2026 Akwa Ibom State Sports Festival will bring together athletes from the 31 Local Government Areas, providing a platform for sporting competition, talent discovery and development, as well as promoting unity and healthy competition among young people across the state.
© Unyime Bassey
0 Comments