Over 200 athletes set for inaugural Traditional Sports National Open Champ
Over 200 athletes are set to participate in the inaugural Traditional Sports National Open Championship scheduled to take place from 14 to 16 August, 2026, at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
The three-day championship will feature five traditional sports: Abula, Ayo, Langa, Dambe and Kokowa, according to the Technical Director of the Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria, Abdullahi Libata.
Speaking ahead of the championship, Libata said the event is designed to provide a platform for athletes to showcase their skills while promoting Nigeria’s rich traditional sporting heritage.
He added that the competition would also serve as an avenue to identify and nurture talents across the country.
Libata said: “We are expecting over 200 athletes to participate in the inaugural National Open Championship.
“Five traditional sports: Abula, Ayo, Langa, Dambe and Kokowa, will feature at the championship.”
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Libata explained that the Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria, under the leadership of its President, Senator Obinna Ogba, is committed to developing and repositioning traditional sports in the country.
He said: “Under the leadership of Senator Obinna Ogba, the federation is focused on taking traditional sports to the next level.
“We want to ensure that these sports receive the recognition and development they deserve, both nationally and internationally.”
Abula is a fast-paced four-a-side court game invented in 1984 by physical education teacher Elias Yusuf at Idi Araba Grammar School in Lagos.
Abula is played on a hard court measuring 16 metres by eight metres with a net which is 2.44m from the ground. It demands both teamwork and individual flair.
Players use a special rectangular bat made of wood and rubber, weighing between half and three quarters of a kilogram, to hit a tennis ball.
