By Cornelius Ehimiaghe
In line with its mission, Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) initiative has facilitated additional badminton training for secondary school games masters and mistresses in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
CSED initiative is a sport for change Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with a mission to use Nigerian children and youth 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.
The two-day event was held in collaboration with Francis Ibhawoh Foundation, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Edo State Ministry of Education, and Edo State Sports Commission.
Notably, it was organized under the aegis of the Francis Ibhawoh Foundation Badminton Outreach for secondary schools.
The event, the media was informed is a project designed to teach games masters and mistresses and the students the basic skills in the game of Badminton even as the organisers say is one of the rare training in sports where students and their teachers learn a sport together at the same time.
It was attended by Physical Education (P.E) teachers from twenty-three secondary schools, as well as sixty-nine students, who learned the basics of the game of under the close supervision of three “Shuttle Time” trained badminton coaches, Godswill Ifejika, Olalekan, Fajimiyo, and Blessing Osayomwanbo.
The highlight of the outreach training was the presentation of basic badminton equipment (rackets, nets and shuttles) to all the twenty-three secondary schools that participated in the outreach training courtesy of Francis Ibhawoh Foundation and CSED Initiative.
In his remarks at the event, a teacher in charge of games at Irrua Girls Secondary School, Ambrose Okonofua expressed his satisfaction on the outcome of the training, which according to his, is very impactful.
“We were pleased with the training which has impacted positively on us and our students. The programme has in the last two days engaged the minds of the students and I am confident of seeing world champions emerging from these badminton outreach training events in Nigeria in future”, he said.
Similarly, one of the coaches, Olalekan Fajimiyo commended the schools for their massive turnout and their show of passion displayed adding that it was one outreach with very high numbers of participants in attendance at the grassroots level.
While declaring the event closed, Edo State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu commended the sponsors for their commitment towards the development of badminton in Edo State and the country in general.
He also applauded the turnout of secondary schools and said that it is a reflection that Edo State is the hub of sports in Niger
The commissioner, who was represented by the Principal of Ujoelen Grammar School, Ekpoma, equally thanked the Trustees of Francis Ibhawoh Foundation for bringing badminton to their door step.
He also expressed the hope that other prominent sons and daughters of Esanland will strive to bring pro-social activities that will have positive impact on the people of Esanland.
It would be recalled that in the past three years, BFN has embarked on using the outreach training and their Shuttle Time training to spread the development of the game in different towns and cities across Nigeria.
This has made BFN the friendliest sports federation most students and teachers in Nigeria. Interestingly, the BFN has also taken the game to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp in Uhogua and specifically trained asylum seekers/refugees on how to play badminton in Ogoja in Cross River State.
