By Mahbubat Salahudeen
The Sigma Club, University of Ibadan, has announced the fourth edition of its annual Sigma Chiefs League, scheduled to take place from September 16 to 27, 2025. The announcement was made during a press conference held on Saturday, September 6, where the organizers revealed plans to broaden the festival by introducing new events.
Unlike previous editions, the 2025/2026 Sigma Sports Festival will feature football alongside table tennis, chess, and scrabble. According to Sigma Sports Committee Chairman, Salawu Toyeeb, the expansion aims to promote inclusion and create more opportunities for students to display their sporting talents.
The festival will open with a novelty match between the male and female football teams of the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University. The football tournament itself will follow a 16-team knockout format, with male matches played in 40-minute halves and female games in 15-minute halves, all at the Zik Maracana.
Table tennis, chess, and scrabble competitions will each be one-day events. Sixteen players will compete in table tennis in a best-of-three format; chess will be played under the Swiss System in four 15-minute rounds; and scrabble will feature four rounds of 50 minutes, with winners decided on accumulated points.
Participation is limited to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of Ibadan, excluding Distance Learning Centre students. Proof of student status will be required, and strict disciplinary measures will be enforced against indiscipline or unsportsmanlike conduct.
Cash prizes and medals have also been announced. In football, the male winners will earn N100,000, with N75,000 and N50,000 for second and third place. Female champions will receive N50,000, while the runners-up will claim N30,000 and N20,000. Winners of table tennis, chess, and scrabble will each receive N20,000, with N15,000 and N10,000 set aside for second and third positions.
Organizers added that student volunteers will provide support throughout the festival to ensure smooth operations.
