NCF President Working To Restore Chess To 2026 National Sports Festival — Bunmi Olape

NCF President Working To Restore Chess To 2026 National Sports Festival — Bunmi Olape

Sampson Adedeji 

Players’ Representative of the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), Bunmi Olape, has confirmed that NCF President, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, is making efforts to restore chess to the 2026 National Sports Festival, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Olape disclosed that Senator Dankwambo is actively engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure the sport regains its place at the multi-sport event after concerns over its exclusion.

He also revealed that outstanding payments owed to participants from the Nigerian Zonal Championship are yet to be settled, with players still awaiting the resolution of the matter.

The development has continued to generate reactions within the chess community, with players and officials hopeful that both the inclusion of chess in the National Sports Festival and the pending financial obligations will soon be addressed by the federation.