Sports
Sports Devt: 36 Lions FC President Bags African Achiever Award in Sports
Joel Ajayi
The President of 36 Lions FC of Lagos, Gaafar Olawale Liameed has been honoured with an award of African achiever/best youth developer in sport development by the National Youth Congress (NYC).
The award was presented to him by the top echelons of the NYC led by the speaker of Nigerian Youth Parliament, Hon Azeezat Yishawu and president of Nigerian Youth Congress, Blessing Akinlosotu at the Rotunda Hall, Ministry of NYC president Akinlosotu said Gaafar was recognised for his outstanding accomplishments in sports development, especially grassroot football in Nigeria where he has produced several youngsters that have represented the nation and winning laurels for the country.
Responding, 36 Lions boss, thanked the organizer for the award, stressing that the award would spur him to do more for the youths especially taking many out of poverty and giving them a bright future.
The astute football administrator who also doubled as vice chairman of the Lagos Football Association was known as groomer of talents with several discoveries of raw talent.
Liameed was the only African who, in Rio de Janeiro 2016, groomed and presented three Nigerian Olympians (Imoh Ezekiel, Junior Ajayi and Sadiq Popo), who won bronze medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
He is the first person from Africa who is building a 36 000 square meter football vocational school for youths ages 14 to 21. He is the only club founder who gives his players 18 hours of coaching per week.
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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