Sports
Waldorf Knoll’s Inter-House Sports In Line With Tinubu Grassroots Sports Development – NSC
Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC) Mallam Shehu Dikko said Waldorf Knoll ha keyed into the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s grassroots Sports development program following their inter-house sports concluded on Saturday at the school premises in Abuja.
Dikko who doubled as the Chairman of the event hailed the way Waldorf Knoll organized the inter-house sports adding that it will make it easy for the Commission to identify talents scattered around Nigeria. He therefore promised the Commission supports to make it better than what it is
“So the Inter-house sports happening here today clearly speaks and aligns with our objective. I have been coming here even before I became the Chairman of National Sports Commission, so, it is something that is deep and is in my heart I am not just here for the fun of it. So, I will use that position to advance it to make it much more better and to create more advocacy that we need that will align with this vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“In fact, what we did was to set up Committee between National Sports Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education to see how we can work together and identity talents.
“In the meeting we had we the Vice Chancellors, Directors, Provost is to put them on alert that we now have to fucus on the sport and already we have seen the outcome for example we have got letters from University of Jos who have presented themself to us as the Center of Excellence for North Central. They are now focusing on setting up national courses of sports. There will be Degree Courses of sport activities to align with other international schools, so that they can be friendly to them.
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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