Sports
NSF Zonal Elimination: Imo state shows dominance as South East Zonal Elimination for Gateways
The battle for places in team Sports for the 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun state, has been concluded in the South East Zonal Elimination held in Enugu state.
The Coal city of Enugu was agog with sporting activities for the past few days with athletes in the region jostling for honour, pride and dignity in the various Team Sports.
Imo state showed their sporting dominance in the region by picking nine qualification slots, the highest among the five participating States.
Imo picked the two available slots in Men and Women Handball Abula while in Men’s Basketball, Imo state picked one of the two available slots alongside Enugu.The women’s slot went to Anambra and Ebonyi states.
In Men’s Volleyball, Imo also finished first while the second qualification slot went to Host state, Enugu and In the women’s Category Anambra and Abia picked the two available tickets.
In Beach Volleyball, Imo and Abia secured the two slots for the Sports Festival in the Men’s Category while for the Women, Anambra and Abia will represent the region in Ogun State.
In Men’s Cricket, Imo and Anambra are the two qualified States and Ebonyi and Abia will also be at the festival but in the Women’s category.
In Handball, Enugu and Anambra states will be at the Festival in the Men’s Category while for the Women, Imo and Abia qualified to represent the region at the Games.
And finally in Football, in the Men’s category Imo and Ebonyi are the two qualified Teams while Enugu and Abia states picked the two available slots in the Women’s category.
The Director of Sports Festival and Para-sports at the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mrs Tecla Opara who was on ground to monitor proceedings praised the current leadership of the Commission for ensuring all the zones had a hitch-free competition, especially in terms of financial support.
” The current leadership of the NSC of Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade is very intentional about revamping the Country’s sports and that is why serious attention was put into the zonal eliminations this time around, which is a clear departure from how things used to be in the past “.
” I must thank them and We are all now looking forward to a very successful Sports Festival in Ogun State in May this year , where both the State and the National Sports Commission, are determined to stage one of the best organised Festivals in the history of the Games “, she concluded.
Meanwhile the South East Zonal Coordinator of the NSC, Ben Ezema thanked all the participating states for their cooperation throughout the competition while assuring them that the Commission will improve on the organisation of future Eliminations.
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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