A leading personality in the growing game of flag football, Katherine Showunmi has praised excitement and values being created through weekly action at the 2025 Showtime Summer Series, adding that she loves the sport because it gives young people new doors into fresh opportunities in life.
Speaking against the backdrop of two weeks of action in this year’s Showtime Flag Football League (SFFL) and a third round coming up this Sunday, Showunmi, who is the general manager of LA Knights, told Sports247 in an exclusive interview that she has fallen deeper in love with the game since it was introduced to her in 2023.
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Although she expressed misgivings with her team’s inability to score more points in their 19-14 victory over Raptors during the final game of last Sunday’s round of fixtures at Showtime Arena in Lekki area of Lagos, Showunmi took pleasure in the overall joy of seeing many youths having something to preoccupy them every weekend.
She disclosed at length: “I was born in London, and I moved to Nigeria in 2024 February, but I live I between here and there because I am an Independent parole board member, appointed by the British government, for the United Kingdom.
“Apart from that, I have a foundation where I take care of the vulnerable people in Nigeria, and I have a company where I buy art and educate people on African art. I do so many things, but I’m new to sport.”
Despite being fresh in the Nigerian sporting terrain as a whole and flag football in particular, Katherine Showunmi said she enjoys every second of her encounter with the game, especially when she looks at it from the point of view that the sport is helping in the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Showunmi added, “I’m new to this kind of area and this field, but I love it. This is now a lively feather in my cap of many laurels; which I’ve achieved by the grace of God, and I am very blessed.
“I was introduced to this sport by my fiance, Kenechukwu Nwankwo. He is the QB for Titans, a kenny formerly in this league, but has now moved on to a different league. He introduced me to this sport in 2023 August. I looked at it, I watched it and I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with what this sport is doing in my country, Nigeria.
“I am a Nigerian first, and I will always be a Nigerian first. For me, it’s always Nigeria first, and I love what flag football is doing for our young people. As far as I understand, flag football is touching many young people in various ways.”
The LA Knights’ top shot continued by reiterating her personal zeal for the values of youth development, which she says flag football has helped her to enhance and further propagate; even as she projected into enacting even greater impacts as the days go by.
Showunmi disclosed, “I have watched young people in the country, and I have chosen to pay some of their school fees, because I believe in what we are doing here. I believe in this sport, and I believe in our young people. I believe in our youth. I love this sport. I love my country, and I’m not going anywhere else. I believe this is going to be an open door for many young people who deserve a new opportunity through sport.”
She concluded by butressing the effort of Showtime Flag Football League (SFFL) in boosting the coed sport’s impact much further, especially through their spree of exciting matches that take place every Sunday and always provide something exciting she, the players and their fans can all look forward to.
“Basketball is great, soccer’s also great, but this is ours … we can take this to many places. We have grown this for ourselves. It just needs to be honed here in Nigeria, because we have earned it. Showtime has demonstrated our ability in flag football, and I’m just so grateful to be part of it. Thank you, everybody,” the amiable and very articulate Showunmi submitted
