15 June, 2026. 20:48.

CALABAR — Over 800 athletes under 17 years old gathered at the U.J. Esuene Stadium on Saturday as the 2026 Cross River Youth Sports Festival kicked off with a march-past by all 18 Local Government Areas.

The 5-day festival is the state’s main scouting ground for the National Youth Games in Asaba later this year. Winners in each event will represent Cross River and get training support from the State Sports Commission.

Track and field takes center stage
Day 1 belonged to the sprints. 16-year-old Glory Effiong from Odukpani LGA won the girls’ 100m final in 12.4 seconds, beating athletes from Calabar South and Akpabuyo. In the boys’ 400m, Samuel Bassey of Obudu LGA held off a late charge from a Boki runner to take gold.

“Training on the hill roads in Obudu is hard, but it gives you strong legs,” Bassey said after the race. “I want to make Cross River proud in Asaba.”

Football and community sports
On the mini-pitch, Obanliku U-17 boys opened with a 2-1 win over Bekwarra, while Calabar Municipality girls’ team beat Akamkpa 3-0. Beyond mainstream sports, the festival also included traditional games like _ayò_ and tug-of-war to keep cultural games alive.

Coach Patrick Agbor, head of Cross River Athletics Association, said the focus this year is discipline and education. “We test every athlete for age. We also run short classes on doping and school grades. No athlete competes if he can’t show his WAEC/NECO result. We want champions with brains,” he said.

Local impact
For many young athletes from rural LGAs like Obanliku, Bendi, and Etung, this is their first time competing outside their community. The state government covers feeding and accommodation at the NYSC Orientation Camp, while LGAs sponsor transport.

Vendors around the stadium are also seeing business. “When Youth Games hold, I sell more suya and cold drinks in 5 days than I do in a whole month,” said Mama Ekaette, a food vendor at MCC Junction.

Finals for athletics, football, table tennis, and wrestling hold on Wednesday. The top 3 athletes in each event will enter a 6-week training camp in Calabar before the National Youth Games.

Entry to watch is free for residents. Matches run 8am-5pm daily.