Sports

Showtime Flag Football Association Seeks NSC’s Support Ahead of Olympics

Published

2 years ago

February 13, 2025

By Joel Ajayi

In its commitment to ensuring Nigeria climbs the podium at international competitions, the Flag Football Association of Nigeria has pledged that flag football will make the country proud at the next Olympics, if given the opportunity.

Flag football is a variant of gridiron football in which, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier (called “deflagging”) to end a down. The sport limits contact between players and has a strong amateur following, with several national and international competitions each year. It is most popular in America, where it was invented.

Manal Nassar, CEO of Showtime Flag Football and leader of the delegation, expressed her enthusiasm during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, at his office. She emphasized that the association will do everything within its power to secure a ticket for the 2028 Olympics.

“We are 100 percent ready to make the country proud at the next Olympics. As I mentioned, we have over 500 players in our league, all of whom are extremely talented. So, we know that if we bring them together as a team, and collaborate with Abuja and other areas of Nigeria, we can create an incredible team that can push to accomplish what Nigerian boxing achieved in the last Olympics. We want to do the same with flag football for the 2028 Olympics,” Nassar said.

“We’ve seen the talent on the field and the passion from these athletes, and that’s what motivates us to push it further. We want to showcase Nigerian athletes globally and make flag football a recognized sport, not just in Nigeria, but around the world. It’s about igniting the dreams of the younger generation.”

Adejumo Adebare, Commissioner of the Showtime Coed Flag Football League (SFFL), also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s representation at the 2028 Olympics.

“Flag football has gained popularity globally, and in Nigeria, participation is on the rise. The sport is inclusive, offering opportunities for all age groups, from kids as young as 15 to adults up to 37 years old. The league at Showtime is growing, and it’s easy for people to participate. It’s fast-paced and exciting, making it an ideal sport for Nigerians to get involved in. Our first Showtime Flag Football season was an unforgettable spectacle, especially with the Showtime Bowl events. I truly believe that Nigeria will be well represented at the 2028 Olympics if given the chance,” Adebare said.

Barrister Musa Amadu, the NSC representative, assured the delegation of the Commission’s full support for the growth of the sport in Nigeria.

“On behalf of the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, we are pleased to receive a team from Showtime Flag Football, based in Lagos. They are here to introduce the game to other parts of the country.

Flag football has been included in the Olympic Games, and it will feature at the Los Angeles Olympics. The goal is to make the sport popular among the youth and grow it from grassroots to professional levels. We have assured them of our support, and the NSC will provide all necessary backing to ensure that flag football flourishes in Nigeria,” Amadu promised.

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

5 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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