Sports
World Weightlifting Championship: Eze Joy Ogbonne Sets Two New World Records, Wins 4th Gold
Joel Ajayi
Eze Joy Ogbonne on Monday won Nigeria’s 4th gold medal in the Commonwealth Championship at the ongoing 2021 International Weightlifting Federation, IWF World Championship in Uzbekistan.
Apart from winning the gold medal in Commonwealth Championship, the Ebonyi State-born lifter also won a bronze medal in the IWF Championship and set two new youth World Records
The IWF World Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan which started on Tuesday last week also serves as the 2022 Commonwealth Games qualifier.
The 17-year-old lifter who competed in the 71kg category won the Commonwealth Championship gold medal with a total lift of 230kg.
She also won a world bronze medal in the clean and jerk with a lift of 130kg and she set two new Youth World records in the clean & jerk and total respectively with a lift of 127kg which she improved to 130kg in her 3rd attempt.
She also set another world youth record in the total with a lift of 230 kg.
Eze Joy Ogbonne is the 4th Nigerian lifter to win a gold medal in Commonwealth Championship at the ongoing IWF World Championship.
She joins compatriots, Stella Kingsley, Olarinoye Adenike Adijat, and Lawal Rafiatu Folashade in the gold medal chart.
Eze who won three gold medals in the 2019 Africa Games in Morocco while speaking with the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, NWF media before her Monday competition said her motivation was to win.
Currently, Nigeria have 4 medals in the IWF – a silver and three bronze while she has five medals on the Commonwealth Championship – 4 gold and a silver.
Nigeria will today seek to consolidate her medal hauls as Liadi Taiwo will compete in the 76kg women category.
She will weigh in by 9am, (1pm Nigerian Time) while competition will start two hours later by 3pm
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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