Sports
Participants praise Organizers for the successful hosting of the maiden Volley Soccer Championships
By: Abdulquadir Adedapo
Following the successful hosting of the maiden edition of the Kickstart Volley Soccer Championship in Abuja, participants at the Championships have praised the work of the organizers for giving birth to a new sport that saw young stars mix Volleyball and Football together.
The first of its Kind type of sport, Volley Soccer is a hybrid of football and volleyball it sounds so strange, playing Volleyball with your feet, but it’s pretty cool. It has an interesting story of origin that truly shows how creative people can be in pursuit of what they want.
The sport follows the basic rules of beach volleyball and the rules of the ball touching from football. Simply put, volley soccer is more or less like volleyball but players are not allowed to touch the ball and a football replaces the volleyball.
Speaking after the final that was played at the Jabi Lake in Abuja, Philip Jude of the winning team expressed his delight in being part of the history of the sports whilst also calling on the corporate and private bodies to invest more into the Sports as it would go a long way in helping the youths.
“I am very happy about the tournament, this is the first of its kind and I really appreciate the efforts of the organizers. Volley Soccer is a nice sport, it was my first time experiencing such a tournament and I hope it becomes a widely accepted sport.
He continued by stating that Sponsors should key into the sports and also wants the General public to be well sensitized about the sports so it can be wide accepted by the General public.
Despite his side surrendering their first set lead to Loose two sets to one to the senior team, captain of the Ijayapi junior team Jerry Johnson Adams urged the organizers to make the tournament a yearly event so more Nigerians would be accustomed with the sports.
The first edition was a four team mini tournament with Ijayapi Senior team beating their junior team to clinch the maiden edition of the Kickstart Volley Soccer Championships
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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