Nigeria’s flag football national team captain,
Anuoluwapo Bello, has declared that she has absolutely no regrets about walking
away from basketball to embrace flag football — a decision she says has
transformed her life and career.
Bello made the revelation during the Athletes
Corner segment of Inside Naija Sports, a live YouTube programme on
Sports247 Naija TV, which now airs at 11:45am.
Although basketball was her first love growing up,
Bello said her fascination with American football — the foundation of flag
football — shaped her eventual switch.
“I always liked American football while growing up.
Although I saw it as a male-dominated sport, I really enjoyed watching it,” she
recalled. “That’s why I was happy when I was introduced to its female version,
which is flag football. I fell in love with it straight off, and I’ve grown in
it ever since.”
What began as a fun pastime, she said, has now become
her passion and identity.
“I first started playing it for fun, but now it’s
become part of me. It has become the real thing for me, and I’m glad that I
joined flag football when I did.”
Bello emphasised that she has never for a moment
regretted abandoning basketball, noting that flag football has opened doors she
once thought were out of reach — including her recent trip to Egypt with the
national team.
“Honestly, I have no regrets at all because flag
football has helped me grow. It has put me in places that I never thought I
would get to,” she said. “Sometimes in the past, I used to miss basketball, but
flag football is now fully my present and my future. I’m no longer a basketball
player, and I’m not looking back.”
The athlete, fondly called Anu by her
teammates, also shared how she unexpectedly found herself becoming captain of
the national team — a role that was never formally announced in camp but one
her teammates embraced wholeheartedly.
“I never saw myself as captain of the team until we
travelled to Egypt. I am thankful that my teammates supported me once they
realised that I was the captain. They helped me stay calm, and they are my
backbone.”
Bello described representing Nigeria as a
life-changing experience.
“With their love and support, I felt proud, I felt
accomplished, and it was an amazing moment that I will never forget in my
life,” she said.
Comments:
Leave a Reply