Nigeria’s flag football national team captain, Anuoluwapo Bello has come out with an emphatic statement that she has no regrets for deciding to dump basketball, Sports247 reports.
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Bello disclosed this while appearing during ‘Athletes Corner’ segment of Inside Naija Sports, a live streaming programme on YouTube, which now starts at 11:45am in the studio of Sports247 Naija TV.
The lanky lady further disclosed that, though basketball was her favourite sport as a child, she always cherished watching American Football, which is the core of flag football.
She recalled, “I always liked American Football while growing up. Although I saw it as a male dominated sport, I really enjoyed watching it.
“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.
“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.”
She then stressed that regrets of any form can never cross her mind due to her decision to switch from basketball, as flag football has given her many benefits, one of which was her recent trip to Egypt with the national team.
The dark-skinned player who is fondly called ‘Anu’ by her close associates added: “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.
“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.”
She concluded with words of gratitude to her teammates in the national team for accepting her as captain and encouraging her to carry on, though a formal announcement of her new position was not made to the players in camp.
“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, and they helped me settle down.
“They helped me to stay calm, and they are my backbone. With their love and support, I felt it was really amazing representing Nigeria.
“I felt proud, I felt accomplished, and it was an amazing moment that I will never forget in my life,” Anuoluwapo reiterated.
