Flag Football Easier Than American Football, Says Chuey Chu

Nigerian media personality and sports enthusiast Oladotun Ochu, popularly known as Chuey Chu, has described flag football as easier to learn and adapt to than traditional American football.

Ochu, a former civil engineer who transitioned into media and event hosting, said the non-contact version of the sport was also cheaper to establish and was growing rapidly across Nigeria.

He made the remarks while discussing his involvement in American football and flag football, ahead of flag football’s debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Between flag football and American football, I think flag is a lot easier. It’s cheaper to set up, and it’s growing faster across Nigeria than American football,” Ochu said.

He recalled being among the early Nigerians involved in promoting American football, including participating in what he described as the first official game in Nigeria in Zaria about a decade ago and the first West African derby against a team from Côte d’Ivoire.

According to him, flag football has since expanded significantly, with both men and women taking up the sport across the country.

Ochu, who grew up participating in track and field, American football and football, said he continued to play American football, flag football and football.

He identified football as his favourite sport but said American football had increasingly attracted his attention.

Ochu also expressed interest in investing in sports in the future, particularly sports media and sporting talent, saying his initial investment was in developing himself.

He said Nigeria had significant untapped sporting potential and could learn from the United States, where school and university sports are supported by structured systems that combine athletic participation with academic requirements.

He further encouraged parents to support children interested in sports, arguing that sporting development could coexist with education rather than being treated as an alternative to it.

Flag football is a non-tackle version of American football in which players stop the ball carrier by removing a flag attached to the player's waist, reducing the physical contact associated with traditional tackle football.