Athletics
BOLT: I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY FOOTBALL NOW
It is an open secret that Jamaican former sprinter, Usain Bolt is passionate about football apart from being an iconic athlete. The website of football governing body, fifa.com describes him as quite simply, the best sprinter of all time.
Of course, his medal-haul at the Olympic Games speak volume. With two gold medals in 100 metres and 200 metres at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, followed by a hat-trick of gold medals at each of London 2012 and Rio 2016 (adding the 4 x 100 metres relay sprint gold at both events) the Jamaican had unprecedented success in his discipline for around a decade.
The athletics legend made a slightly left-field promise during his track and field career: that he would take up football after hanging up his sprinting cleats. Having recently retired from the sport which he conquered, FIFA.com caught up with Bolt in an exclusive interview to discuss his love of football, his picks for this year’s The Best FIFA Football Awards, and what it takes to be the best.
FIFA.com: You were 11 years old when Jamaica played at their only FIFA World Cup to date, at France 1998. How much of that do you remember? Does anything notable stand out from that tournament?
Usain Bolt: I can never forget when we qualified for the World Cup as our Prime Minster declared a national holiday. I remember our first goal at the World Cup too, Robbie Earle with that header against Croatia. Then in the final game Theodore Whitmore scored twice in the win against Japan.
Now you’ve retired from sprinting, will you look to get involved in football at some level? If so, how?
Yes, I would love to play football now I’ve retired from track and field. I’ve been talking about it in interviews and a lot of clubs have reached out. Unfortunately, I got a bad hamstring injury in August and haven’t been able to do any training since then. Hopefully I will be able to play some games in 2018.
Did you ever play football with other athletes when training or in camp?
I play a lot in Jamaica over the winter. It wasn’t something that my coach liked but fortunately I didn’t get any injuries playing football that interrupted my athletics training.
Footballers around the globe have to vote for a World11 from the past season (2016/17). What would be your World11 for 2016/17, and why?
There are so many great players, it’s not an easy team to pick! Obviously I’d have Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar leading the attack. I’ll put Gigi Buffon in goal. In defence I’ll go for Sergio Ramos and Leonardo Bonucci in the middle with Marcelo and Dani Alves as full backs. In midfield: Paul Pogba, Ngolo Kante and Philippe Coutinho.
The top three for The Best FIFA Men’s Player award are Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar – who’s your pick for number one and why?
I would go for Ronaldo. All three are amazing players but in the last year Cristiano won La Liga, the Champions League again and finished top scorer for the fifth season. His ability to stay at the top year after year is very impressive.
The three candidates for the Mens’ Coach award are Massimiliano Allegri, Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane. If you were a player, which of the three would you want to be coached by and why?
I would love to play for Zidane. I really admired him as a player and he has made the transition to coach very well. He’s won five major trophies in five tournaments.
There’s an award for The Best FIFA Goalkeeper this year. Who do you think is the best keeper in the world at the moment and why?
Gianluigi Buffon. He’s almost 40 years old but very difficult to score against. Good goalkeepers give the players in front of them confidence and nobody would have a problem playing in front of Buffon. I met him recently at an event and he sent me a nice message when I retired.
The FIFA Puskás Award rewards the best goal of 2016/17. Which of the finalists would get your vote and why?
I’d vote for Oscarine Masuluke. For a goalkeeper to score an overhead kick in stoppage time like that is impressive.
Who would you choose between Deyna Castellanos, Carli Lloyd and Lieke Martens for the Women’s Player award and why?
My vote would go to Lieke Martens. She led Holland to that European Championship win and was Player of the Tournament.
What makes London such a special city, and what does it mean to you?
I’ve been coming to London every year for the past 15 years. It’s become like my second home as I normally base myself in the city during the track and field season. There are a lot of Jamaicans living in London and I always get great support when I race there.
As you can tell from the names of the awards, FIFA are looking to recognise ‘The Best’. From someone who has risen to the top of their profession – can you give some insight into what it takes to be the best, and the sacrifices it takes to get there?
It takes talent, discipline, dedication and hard work. I believe that everyone who is considered one of the best has worked extremely hard to get there. To be successful at the highest level there are sacrifices you have to make in terms of parties, friends and getting rest.
If you were to give advice to any young boy or girl who is determined to be the best in the world at their chosen sport, be that football, sprinting or another sport, what would it be?
Choose the right people to have around you and advise you, be determined, work hard, believe in yourself, success doesn’t always come overnight so be consistent and the results will come. I have a motto: ‘Anything is possible’.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has officially set the ball rolling for the selection of Team Nigeria’s athletics contingent to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, announcing June 20 to 22 as the dates for the national trials in Lagos.
The three-day championship, scheduled for the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Sports Complex, will serve as the sole selection event for athletes seeking to represent Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
In a statement released by the federation, the AFN emphasised that participation in the trials is compulsory for all athletes aspiring to make Team Nigeria, making the competition a critical stage in the country’s preparations for the Games.
The event is expected to attract the nation’s leading track and field stars, alongside a new generation of emerging talents eager to secure a place on the national team.
A total of 32 events for men and women will be contested during the championships, offering athletes opportunities to demonstrate their readiness for international competition.
However, the federation announced that participation in the men’s and women’s 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres events will be limited to athletes who have attained the prescribed qualifying standards. All other track and field events will remain open to eligible competitors.
According to the AFN, the arrangement is designed to ensure that only athletes who have demonstrated the required level of performance compete in the sprint events while maintaining broad participation across other disciplines.
Athletes are expected to arrive in Lagos on June 19, with departures scheduled for June 23.
To support athletes in their quest for qualification, the federation announced that accommodation will be provided to competitors who have achieved the stipulated qualifying marks during the qualification period. The list of eligible athletes is expected to be published in the coming days.
The trials are expected to produce intense competition as athletes battle for limited places on Team Nigeria. With the country traditionally regarded as one of Africa’s leading athletics nations, selection is likely to be fiercely contested across several events.
AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, described the trials as a major milestone in Nigeria’s build-up to Glasgow 2026 and called on athletics enthusiasts and stakeholders to support the athletes throughout the championship.
Okowa expressed confidence that the event would help identify the country’s strongest athletes and provide selectors with the best possible team for the Commonwealth Games.
He also commended the leadership of the National Sports Commission for its continued support of the federation, noting that the backing has strengthened efforts to develop athletics and enhance elite athletes’ performance.
With the countdown to the Commonwealth Games gathering momentum, attention will now shift to Lagos, where athletes will compete for the opportunity to wear Nigeria’s green-and-white colours on one of the biggest stages in international sport.
For hopefuls targeting Glasgow 2026, the message from the AFN is clear: the journey to the Commonwealth Games begins at the YABATECH Sports Complex this month.
The Akwa Ibom State Government’s sustained investment in sports development under Governor Umo Eno is beginning to produce significant results, with athletes from the state returning from the African Senior Athletics Championship in Ghana with medals and qualifications for future international competitions.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Paul Bassey, during a reception held at his office for athletes from the state who represented Nigeria at the continental championship staged in Ghana from May 10 to 17.
The athletes delivered impressive performances for Team Nigeria, winning gold medals in relay events and reinforcing the growing reputation of Akwa Ibom as one of the country’s emerging hubs for athletics excellence.
Speaking during the reception, Bassey praised the athletes for making both the state and Nigeria proud, attributing their achievements to the deliberate sports development policies introduced by Governor Eno’s administration.
According to him, the establishment of a stand-alone Ministry of Sports by the governor reflects the administration’s determination to give sports-focused attention and create opportunities for athletes to thrive at both national and international levels.
“Akwa Ibom is proud of you. You did not just qualify to represent the country; you went there and won gold medals,” Bassey said.
“Sports have always thrived in the state, but the renewed intentionality of His Excellency inspires us greatly. That is why he established a stand-alone Ministry of Sports to ensure focused attention on the sector. We sincerely appreciate his unwavering support.”
The commissioner assured the athletes and their coaches that the government would continue to honour and support them despite the political activities leading up to next year’s elections.
He added that the administration remains committed to projecting Akwa Ibom athletes to greater heights on the global sporting stage.
Head Coach of the state Athletics Association, Dan Umoette, also commended the state government and the Ministry of Sports for their consistent support, saying the encouragement has motivated athletes to pursue excellence and podium finishes.
Umoette revealed that three Akwa Ibom athletes were part of the Nigerian relay quartet that won gold in the 4×400 metres event at the championship.
One of the athletes, Comfort James, Nigeria’s women’s 800 metres record holder, described the government’s public backing as a major morale booster.
“We have not enjoyed opportunities like this before, where the entire government and the Ministry of Sports openly support us,” she said.
“It has boosted our morale and helped us stand out. We hope to do even more in future competitions because we know we are not limited.”
Among the Akwa Ibom athletes who represented Nigeria at the championship were Esther Okon and Jacinta Lawrence, who won gold in the women’s 4×400 metres relay final.
Ezekiel Eno Asuquo and Victor Sampson also claimed gold medals in the mixed 4×400 metres relay event.
Other members of the contingent included Comfort James in the women’s 800 metres and Clergy Edet in the women’s high jump competition.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Sports present at the reception included Permanent Secretary Mrs Rosemary Ubia, Director of Sports Mrs Brigid Otton, Director of Organising Mrs Margaret Ekpo, and Director of Coaching and Technical Unit Mrs Kate Ekuta.
Also present were coaches Kenti Christopher and Janet Ba.
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The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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