700 Athletes set for 8th Kwara Sports Festival as Commission unveils logo, mascot

About 700 athletes from the 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State are set to participate in the 8th edition of the Kwara State Sports Festival as the Kwara State Sports Commission unveiled the official logo and mascot for the competition.

The week-long multi-sport festival will feature 28 sporting events and is scheduled to take place from Friday, August 21, to Saturday, August 29, 2026, at the George Agbazika Innih Stadium Complex, Ilorin.

Speaking during a press briefing held on Tuesday at the Conference Room of the Kwara State Sports Commission, the Executive Chairman of the Commission and Chairman of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Mallam Bola Mogaji, commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for providing opportunities for young people to develop their talents through sports.

Mogaji also appreciated the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the chairmen of the 16 local government areas for their support for youth and sports development in the state.

Reflecting on the history of the National Sports Festival, Mogaji recalled that Governor AbdulRazaq, Hameed Adio and himself had represented Kwara in sporting activities.

He explained that the revival of the state sports festival in 2000 was intended to sustain the competition as a biennial event, although subsequent editions were affected by the renovation and construction of facilities at the stadium complex.

According to him, the festival would not only provide a platform for athletes to showcase their talents but also promote the state’s sporting facilities, celebrate its diverse cultures and strengthen unity and togetherness among Kwarans.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Dr Steve Olarinoye, said preparations for the festival were progressing smoothly, with more than 60 per cent of the work already completed ahead of the opening ceremony.

Olarinoye disclosed that approximately 700 male and female athletes are expected to participate in the competition from the 16 local government areas.

Each local government is expected to field a maximum of 100 athletes across the various sporting events during the one-week fiesta.

The accreditation of participating athletes and officials is scheduled for Friday, August 21, while the opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

The festival is expected to provide a platform for discovering and nurturing emerging sporting talents while promoting healthy competition and unity among young people across Kwara State.