Sports
Nigeria Continues Dominance at 2025 All-Africa Senior Badminton Championship in Cameroon
Nigeria continued their impressive run at the 2025 All-Africa Senior Badminton Championship in Douala, Cameroon, on Tuesday, February 11, securing back-to-back victories on the second day of the tournament. Determined to achieve a strong finish, Team Nigeria remains fully focused on the continental showdown, which runs from February 10 to 16. With a ten-player squad evenly split between male and female athletes, the team is competing across five categories—men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles—and has already established itself as a force to be reckoned with.
The West Africans began their campaign on Monday, February 10, with a dominant performance against Zambia, winning all five matches. Nigeria secured straight-set victories in the mixed doubles, women’s singles, and women’s doubles, while the men’s singles and doubles matches were more competitive but ended in 2-1 triumphs for Nigeria.
Building on that strong start, Nigeria delivered another flawless performance in the morning session of Tuesday, February 11, by sweeping Equatorial Guinea in straight sets across all five categories. The men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles teams showcased their superiority, maintaining Nigeria’s perfect run in the competition. The afternoon fixture against Mauritius posed a tougher challenge, but Nigeria once again proved their resilience. While Mauritius claimed the mixed doubles match in straight sets, Nigeria responded with commanding wins in the men’s and women’s singles. The men’s doubles match was a tightly contested battle, with Mauritius securing a 2-1 victory, but Nigeria’s women’s doubles team sealed the overall win with a hard-fought 2-1 triumph, ensuring three victories out of five matches.
With three consecutive wins and a near-perfect record, Nigeria has firmly positioned itself as a strong contender for the title and remains focused on maintaining their momentum and pushing for continental glory.
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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