In preparation for the maiden National Intermediate Games tagged Eko 2026, the Local Organising Committee (LOC), in collaboration with the Main Organising Committee (MOC), has announced plans to deploy the National Identity Management System to curb age cheating among athletes.
The Games, scheduled to hold in Lagos from October 1 to 15, will feature thousands of young athletes aged 15 to 18 years, competing across multiple sports.
To safeguard the integrity of the competition, LOC Co-chair, Lekan Fatodu, explained that technology will be central to ensuring only eligible participants are allowed to compete.
“As we are aware, the Games are meant to bridge the gap between the Youth Games and the National Sports Festival. Hosting this tournament gives us the opportunity to set a new standard in checking age- cheating. We want to ensure that only athletes within the right age bracket compete.”
He admitted that in the past “over- aged athletes have competed against under-aged athletes, denying genuine talents the chance to shine. This time around, we want to set the standard with the use of NIMS,” Fatodu said.
