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Flag Football Makes Historic Debut as Demonstration Sport at National Sports Festival

Flag football, a sport new to Nigeria's National Sports Festival, was showcased as a demonstration sport at the ongoing Gateway Games, featuring teams from different states across the country.  The head of Public Relations and Communications at Showtime Flag, Esther Kalu spoke about the sport's introduction and future plans.



A New Era for Flag Football in Nigeria

Flag football's debut at the National Sports Festival marks a significant milestone for the sport in Nigeria. According to Esther Kalu, "If I had the opportunity to speak to them (the players), it's to let them know that what you have done here today by participating in the demonstration of Flag Football at the National Sports Festival is something that youths are looking for across the nation. I would encourage them to take it to the next dimension."


Kalu highlighted the key differences between flag football and other similar sports, saying, "The variation typically for flag football is the non-contact. It's co-educational and then it's hybrid here. But the word is co-ed. So, like I said, at Showtime, we run a co-ed league."


Flag football had seven states represented during the demonstration exercise including Ogun, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Ondo, Cross River and Federal Capital Territory. The plan is to integrate flag football across all geopolitical zones in Nigeria, with a focus on universities. "The whole idea is first to integrate it through universities. So, imagine seeing this kind of games at NUGA, for instance. You have automatically introduced it not just to students, but to a community as well," Kalu explained.


She also identified educating the general public about flag football as a major challenge, but noted that Showtime Flag Football has created a system to train people before they play. "If we have a wider range of people who are interested in learning, educating, being administrators, being sponsors, and spreading the information, that challenge is out."


With a catchment area that includes primary, secondary, and universities, Flag Football aims to promote the sport across the country. "Our catchment area first is in Primary, and Secondary schools, and universities. The idea is to have these kind of showcases across tertiary institutions, across primary institutions, and take advantage of the summer season to train students."

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