The Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED), a Non Governmental Organisation has concluded plans to train and equip 1,000 physical education teacher on netball in Nigeria.
The National Coordinator of CSED, Mr Edema Fuludu stated this at a two day Netball training for 46 Physical Education teachers in Akwa Ibom on Tuesday
Fuludu said the primary target of the project 2027 was to train and equip 1000 physical education teachers that would bring Netball to the attention of one million Nigerian students before the end of 2027.
He said that the training was aimed at teaching the beneficiaries the basic skills in netball, so that they can impart the knowledge gained into their students.
He further said the objectives of the training was to promote literacy through sports and to touched youths of Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
“We want to use netball which is not almost existing in Nigeria for a long time, to reach this close.
“I mean that the physical education teachers will train students to become Netball coaches and understand the rules and regulation guiding the game.” He explained.
Fuludu, a former Super Eagles player, now a certified netball coach said that the training had been done in Delta and Edo states.
Also speaking, Dr. Grace Ataha, an instructor at the University of Uyo lamented that netball have gone into extinct in Nigeria.
Ataha said that instructors were trying to revive netball in Nigeria, adding that Akwa Ibom was one of the state that was earmarked for the training to be conducted but added that netball game was the only sport in the world that is specifically designed for girls and women.
“Some of the teachers have been doing other sports and some idle but when they see the beauty in netball, they may be able to cope and would help in curbing alot of vices they could be into,” she said.
Ataha explained that 9 Nigerian coaches and referees had been trained and certified with International Netball Federation certificates that would go about training other people in other states.
Earlier, in his remarks, Mr Emmanuel Ebong, the Akwa Ibom Director of Sports State Secondary Education Board urges the beneficiaries to take the training very serious and reiterated that any teacher who absent from the training would be sanctioned saying that the teachers were selected on merit.
“I condemn some teachers names because they don’t come out or participated in sports activities in the state.We don’t need docile people but we need proactive teachers to represent Akwa Ibom during netball competition in the state and national,” Ebong said.
The highlight of the event was distributions of Netball equipment and Certificates to the participants.
