Lioness League 2026 to Empower Women Through Sports and Esports

By, Sabrina Mohd Noor

GOMBAK, 11 October 2026: The Women Affairs Association (WAFA), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) will organise Lioness League 2026, a campus-wide women-only sports and esports festival from 22 to 25 October 2026, featuring a range of sporting and competitive activities.

Organised entirely by a female committee of more than 120 members, the four-day festival will feature netball, badminton, volleyball, track, chess, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), VALORANT and eChess, bringing together women students from across IIUM in a celebration of sportsmanship, teamwork and competition.

The festival aims to provide a platform for women students to participate in competitive sports while encouraging teamwork, confidence and active participation across different sporting disciplines. The inclusion of esports also reflects in its growing popularity among young people, while creating more opportunities for female students to take part in a competitive environment.

The festival will begin on 22 October with the Opening Lioness League Ceremony, officially marking the start of the four-day programme.

A key highlight of the festival is the Lioness League Esports Championship 2026, which distinguishes the programme from conventional sports events through its dedicated esports segment. The esports championship is supported by funding from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and features three categories, namely Valorant, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and eChess.The esports competitions are also open to students from universities beyond IIUM, welcoming wider participation among female students.The Valorant and MLBB competitions will also offer prize money to the winners, adding further incentives for participating teams to showcase their skills and compete for the championship titles.

The esports segment will commence on 23 October with the Opening Lioness League Esports Championship 2026, followed by the preliminary rounds for Valorant and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

The competition will continue on 24 October, alongside the She Smash Lioness League and Queen’s Gambit Rapid Chess Tournament, as the Valorant and MLBB teams progress through the subsequent rounds.

On 25 October, the esports segment will feature the eChess competition, followed by the third-place matches and Grand Finals for VALORANT and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. The festival will conclude with the Closing Lioness League Ceremony later that day, marking the end of the four-day programme.

Through its combination of sporting events and competitive gaming, Lioness League 2026 seeks to create an engaging environment for female students to showcase their abilities, build connections and experience the value of teamwork and sportsmanship. The festival ultimately celebrates women’s participation in competitive sports and esports while providing a platform for students from IIUM and other universities to participate in the competitions.