Sports
Group Promotes Grassroots Sports Dev
A group, 5E Concept Sports Management and Development, has joined other stakeholders to promote grassroots sports development in Lagos communities.
Speaking on the programme, 5E Concepts Team Lead, Sports Management and Development Unit, Mr. Anthony Obi, said: “There has been sports reduction in community participation, understanding of the rules, passion and followership when compared to the past.”
Speaking during a virtual panel discussion on ‘Securing a sustainable and peaceful future for all,’ Obi said sports programmes are powerful tools for grassroots development and learning, adding, “from an early age, sport provides children, including the most marginalised, with opportunity to develop their physical abilities and health, to socialise, to build leadership skills, to foster lifelong learning and to learn and have fun.”
The special guest and head of Child Protection Network (CPN), Lagos State Chapter, Awofeso Rasheed, emphasised the importance of sports to the wellbeing of young people, development of the society and the economy if properly enhanced.
Another member of panel and Executive Secretary, Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF), Mrs. lwalola Akin Jimoh, said vocational training, internship and business development, especially for young people, are funded by several parties.
According to her, the Foundation have been able to nurtured both boys and girls in some football and taekwondo academies for girls. Akin-Jimoh urged governments at all levels to do more in training and developing young people to reduce youth restiveness and various social vices.
Another speaker, Managing Director, Tswako Sports Foundation, Muhammad Sanni Tswako, said grassroots sports major problem is funding and sponsorship, which is not encouraging participation, development and growth of sports in the country.
He disclosed that Tswako Sports Foundation based in Abuja is basically focused on tennis development, supplying equipment, training young people and encouraging the game in schools.
Speech and Games Director, Andrew Esangbede, advocated promotion of board sports – Scrabble, Chess and others in Yaba Community, Lagos State, both private and public schools. He said the initiative promotes extra-curricular activities, and inter house indoor games, and prepare for competition for both learners (amateurs) and professionals.
Head Coach Tainhills Football Academy, Olawuyi Musheedeen, said grassroots sports is no longer encouraging for many reasons, adding, however, that there could be a change from policy makers.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.