Lagos -Femi Afolanyan, National Coach of the Nigeria Para-Soccer team on Thursday said that the body would intensify its effort to encourage the participation of players in the sport.
Afolanyan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the sport has provided a veritable platform for persons with diabilities to actively participate in sports.
He said that there were still some challenges affecting the growth of the sport, and stressed that it would not deter the efforts of the federation to boost the profile of the sport.
“The challenges which the para-soccer players are facing is much, but gradually God is by our side.
“Formerly (hitherto) para-soccer players only struggle to live to survive by (via) street begging but through sport they are no more on street begging.’’
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The coach, however, appealed to the government to provide an enabling environment for para-athletes to enable them to thrive in any other vocation they choose to pursue.
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“The government in power now, we plead that they should look into paraplegic sports, either by introducing trades which they can even do apart from sports.
“Some of them want to go to school, they will be happy if there can be sponsors through the government.’’
(NAN)
