By Eric Ojo
Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative in collaboration with Blitzik Sports and the Ondo State Ministry of Education Science and Technology, has trained additional 36 games masters and mistresses on netball.
CSED is a sport for change Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with a mission to use Nigerian children/youths participating in sports related activities to promote literacy and their social well-being. Its primary goal is to develop well balanced future sports men and women.
The NGO also aims at using sports to empower young persons to fulfil their potentials and achieve their dream of earning a living, while representing Nigeria in international sporting competitions.
“Since every student cannot become a career athlete in future; we will equip teachers and coaches with the knowledge and skills to keep students safe in the classrooms and in the sport fields”, the CSED stated in its website.
Participants at the two-day training which was held at the indoor sports hall of the Akure Sport Complex, were drawn from various public and private schools, and some staff of the Ondo State Sports Council, as well as some secondary school students in the state.
Secondary schools that participated in the training include Fiwasaye Girls School, CAC Grammar School, Ijapo High School, Adu Memorial School, Mimshach School Ijapo, Preston International College, among others.
The attendees were taught the theory aspect of netball, as well as the practical aspect of the game by Mr. Edema Fuludu, a member of Nigeria’s 1994 African Cup of Nations winning team and a certified Netball coach and Onome Edema.
The practical aspect of the training covered the areas of basic warming up drills, ball handling, passing, shooting and positioning of the players in the netball court.
The participants were also taught how to mark the netball court, as well as the importance of the safeguarding of students who take part in netball in the school and local community.
In his remarks at the event, coach Edema said the training is part of the CSED’s effort in developing and empowering Nigerian children and young people, especially the girl child to play netball and further spread the awareness of the game to one million Nigerian school girls before the end of 2027.
He also expressed his satisfaction with the turn out, adding that the game of netball can grow speedily in the country.
Similarly, the Director of Blikzik Sports and a sports journalist with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Positive FM Akure, Mr. Isaac Afolabi said the collaboration between the two sports NGOs was to further encourage schools proprietors and parents to impress their wards the need to mix education with sports and to least make sporting equipment and facility available in their schools, no matter how small.
Mr. Afolabi also commended CSED for the collaboration, noting that events like this would keep the students and other talents busy and also divert their minds from negative thoughts into a meaningful venture.
At the end of the event, netball training kits/equipment which includes netball rims/nets, finger held whistles, sets of netball training bibs, as well as netball balls were freely distributed to the teachers for use in their various schools.
The Director of Ondo State Sports Council and a Director in the Ondo State Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Mr. Jide Fawolu thanked the two NGOs for holding the event in Ondo State.
Mr. Fawolu therefore urged the teachers to make good use of the netball equipment, which was freely given to them, in developing the talents of the students in their respective schools.
