Sports
14 Years After Brume Wins Nigeria’s First WIC Medal In Belgrade
The promising Nigerian long jumper Ese Brume has returned Nigeria to the World Indoor Championships podium for the first time in 14 years since Olusoji Fasuba won the 60m gold in Valencia.
The 25-year-old leaped a huge 6.85m personal season’s best in the third round at the Belgrade event to clinch the silver medal behind the pre-championships favourite, homegirl Ivana Vuleta who took early command of the event with a 6.89m best in the second round before improving top 7.06m in the fourth round.
With this achievement, Brume has become the third Nigerian to win medals at World Athletics Championships indoors and out, as well as at the Olympics behind Glory Alozie and late Sunday Bada.
In addition, she has become the third long jumper to win a World Indoor title after Paul Emordi in 1987, and Chioma Ajunwa in 1997. Brume began her quest for a podium finish with a 6.22m effort.
She later improved to 6.47m in the second round before producing the huge leap in the third that eventually placed her on the podium.
Further efforts to turn silver to gold were futile as she could only jump 6.66m, 6.76m, and 6.67m in the fourth, fifth and final round.
The performance moved her to the top of the African and Nigerian indoor list for the year, and fourth in the African all-time list behind Chioma Ajunwa (6.97m), Blessing Okagbare (6.87m), and Sierra leone’s Eunice Barber (6.86m).
Meanwhile, Ruth Usoro has set a new personal season’s best of 6.69m to place eighth in the final classification, a huge lift for the 24-year-old who has had an indifferent collegiate indoor season.
With Brume’s silver medal win, Nigeria has now won 12 medals in the history of the championships with two gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals.
Sports
FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification
Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums
Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.
Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.
In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”
He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.
“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”
Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT
Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.
“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.
Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.
“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”
The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.
He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development
As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.
“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”
Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.
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