Sports
Fish Out More Young Players, Sports Minister Charges Victorious Scrabble Team
Joel Ajayi
Minister of youth and sports development Sunday Dare, has charged the victorious Nigeria scrabble team to go out there and fish out more young players and nurture them to podium.
He gave this charge on Monday at a welcome reception for the team Nigeria who came out victorious at the just concluded West African Tourney in Kumasi in Ghana.
Nigeria team left stone unturned to ensure 9 out 10 prizes won by Nigeria scrabble team.
While speaking Sports Minister Dare, said scrabble is an important game because it needs determination, discipline as well as the right frame of mind and if anyone excels in scrabble he or she can excel in any walk of life.
“Based on this as a government, we want to renew our support and commitment toward the growth and development of the games. Tell us your programs and we will ensure the needed support.
“I want to charge the scrabble federation to go out there and find more young Scrabble players and mentor them to place Nigeria on the path of more success.”
He however asked the federation to provide complete data of performance of the team for record purposes.
In his own addresses, the president of Scrabble Federation of Nigeria Oloboatoke Aka thanked the minister and opined that the minister’s world of encouragement and support propel the team to victory.
“Before we travel to Ghana, you charge us to go for victory and today your world of encouragement propel us to fantastic victory.
“Also, the victory today, was as a result of hard work, almost every month we had championship this indeed help us I can tell you today, Nigeria is best scrabble team in the whole world”
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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