NSC enlists Fasuba’s daughter for Podium Project

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The National Sports Commission has identified 14-year-old sprint sensation Annabelle Fasuba for its exclusive Podium Performance Prospect Project, in a move that signals Nigeria’s growing determination to attract elite young diaspora athletes into the national system.

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Annabelle, daughter of former African sprint king Olusoji Fasuba, is already regarded as the fastest girl in her age category in the United Kingdom, with blistering performances across the 60m, 100m and 200m events. NSC Director General Bukola Olopade visited the Fasuba family in the United Kingdom to present the P4 recognition award.

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“Nigeria wants you and will make sure we give you all the support you need to get to the very top in your career,” Olopade said.

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Annabelle has enjoyed a remarkable rise since breaking into the spotlight in 2024. She opened her U-17 season by winning the South of England Indoor 60m title at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London, clocking 7.51 seconds, just a millisecond shy of her own club record. She ended the 2025 season with 34 wins from 54 races and was national U-15 champion in the 60m, 100m and 200m.

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Her father, however, has made clear that the decision on whether Annabelle will ultimately represent Nigeria internationally rests with the teenager herself.

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“It’s going to be in her hand and how Nigeria athletics changes,” Fasuba told PUNCH Sports Extra.

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The former Olympian, who won African Championships gold in 2004 and was part of Nigeria’s bronze-winning 4x100m relay team at the Athens Games, said his daughter was fully aware of his history with the national team.

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“She knows everything and sees everything,” he said.

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Fasuba also urged Nigerian sports authorities to build structures that make athletes feel genuinely valued beyond medal ambitions.

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“From my perspective as a parent and former athlete, I believe the most important thing Nigerian sports authorities can do is create a structure that makes both home-based and diaspora athletes feel valued beyond just medals,” he said.

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Annabelle is currently under Great Britain’s athletics system and is widely expected to continue developing there, though the NSC’s engagement has opened a door to a potential future switch of allegiance.

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