More than 680 athletes from 14 branches of Nigerian fitness chain i-Fitness will compete Saturday at the National Stadium in Surulere, as the company turns its member base into a large-scale interbranch sports event.
The competition, GameFest 2.0 Mainland Edition, begins at 7:30 a.m at the Legacy Pitch under the theme “Different Squad, Unstoppable Together.”
It features football, a 100-meter sprint, a 200-meter relay, a sack race and an all-day lifting challenge.
Eight branches—Magodo, Ogudu, Ikorodu, Iponri, Surulere, Ago Palace, Opebi and Acme—advanced through preliminary matches to the football knockout stage.
The tournament will run from the quarterfinals to a final, while sprint heats will determine the 100-meter finalists.
Organizers expect more than 3,500 registered guests, including more than 2,300 i-Fitness members.
That is more than double the roughly 1,500 participants at the inaugural Island Edition last year, a sign of the company’s expanding community reach.
i-Fitness Founder and Chief Executive Foluso Ogunwale said the event reflects the brand’s effort to build a community around healthier living.
“14 branches, close to 700 competitors and thousands of supporters on the National Stadium pitch show how far that community has come,” he said.
Chief Marketing Officer Olajumoke Abiodun said the turnout shows that Nigerians increasingly view exercise as a social and competitive activity, not merely an individual routine.
The program is designed to encourage regular physical activity amid concerns over sedentary lifestyles and noncommunicable diseases.
The day will include an Afro-dance warm-up, live DJ entertainment, a closing dance-off and a marketplace for health food and fitness products.
Winners will receive trophies, medals and prizes at the closing ceremony.
i-Fitness says it operates more than 31 branches, employs 500 certified trainers and offers more than 40 free weekly classes across Nigeria.
Its partners for the event include Pocari Sweat, Red Bull, Rexona, Nirvana Water, MOL, Cold Stone Creamery, Pinkberry, Zayith Food Company, Uncover and Cosmo Cosmetics.
