Quadri Aruna, Africa’s most successful table tennis player, has thrown his weight behind the inaugural National Intermediate Games, Eko 2026, identifying the event as a critical pathway for discovering and developing Nigeria’s emerging athletes.
The multi-sport competition is scheduled to take place in Lagos from 1 to 15 October 2026. Organisers expect more than 15,000 athletes to compete in the maiden edition of the Games, making it one of the largest youth-centric sporting gatherings in the region.
Aruna’s endorsement comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to strengthen its sports pipeline. He described the event as an important platform for nurturing the next generation of sporting stars, suggesting that such structured competitions are essential for transitioning talented amateurs into world-class professionals.
Building a Pipeline for Nigerian Athletics
The National Intermediate Games are designed to fill a perceived gap in the Nigerian sporting calendar, acting as a bridge between grassroots school competitions and the high-stakes National Sports Festival. By providing a mid-level competitive environment, Eko 2026 aims to ensure that promising talents are not lost due to a lack of exposure or professional guidance.
Quadri Aruna’s support is particularly significant given his trajectory. As a former world top-11 player and a multiple-time African champion, Aruna is widely regarded as the gold standard for Nigerian athletes competing on the global stage. His career has demonstrated the necessity of consistent competition and early talent identification, which the Eko 2026 organisers intend to replicate on a larger scale.
Lagos, chosen as the host city, provides the necessary infrastructure to manage the influx of 15,000 athletes. The city’s existing sporting facilities and its status as a commercial hub are expected to attract sponsors and scouts from across the continent, increasing the visibility of the competing athletes.
The scale of the event suggests a coordinated effort to professionalise sports discovery in Nigeria. Beyond the medals, the Games are intended to provide data and performance benchmarks that national sports federations can use to select candidates for international training camps and scholarships.
The focus will remain on the preparation of venues and the registration of athletes as the October 2026 start date approaches. Further details regarding the specific sporting disciplines and the qualification criteria for the 15,000 expected participants are expected from the organising committee in the coming months.
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