Sports
Nigeria Can Produce Athletes Better Than Usain Bolt If….Rosa Collins
Joel Ajayi
The Second Vice President of Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Rosa Collins, has revealed that if there is unity among those who find themselves in the corridor of sports, Nigeria can produce Athletes that are better than Usain Bolt.
The former triple jump Athlete stated this on Monday in Abuja, shortly after she was elected as 2nd Vice President of AFN. She said that, if all hands are on deck, the Country will provide Athletes better than Jamaica sprinter, Usain Bolt.
According to her, I believe if we all work together, we will make it, we are not going to put sentiment of one person is from this regions or not; if we all come together, definitely we are going to challenge America in Athletics, we have good athletes here, we have “Usain Bolt” among us and I believe that if we work together, we will produce more and more Usain Bolt in this country.
Speaking on the Olympics, Collins expressed; “Yes we have a very high spirit of performance, we believe that we will make it and we will come home with some medals.
“The Board that led before was like a disaster, I was also part of that Board, I wasn’t carried along and our ideas was pushed apart, if I have an idea and you don’t bring me close to you, I will never share my ideas because my ideas means a lot to this Federation as a former athlete, not ordinary athlete; a former triple jump athlete,.
“All board members will be carried along, so whatever idea you have, bring it, we are going to support the new President.” She said.
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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