LAGOS – Gbenga Oteje, Technical Director of the Lagos State Judo Association, on Wednesday appealed to corporate bodies to sponsor the association’s maiden edition of Gabel Youth Training Camp and Tournament.
Oteje told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos “the programme is aimed at discovering talents at the grassroots level and engaging athletes of school age in sporting activities during the long vacation’’.
He appealed to philanthropists in the country to sponsor the competitions, saying “this is the first of its kind in the sport. It is aimed at engaging more youths positively and it promotes nation-building’’.
The technical director said more sponsors were needed to ensure the protection of the youths’ interests in sports. [eap_ad_1] “We need more sponsors to come and partner with us to provide an avenue to showcase our young talents,’’ he said.
Oteje called for potential partners to support the so-called lesser sports to ensure an even development of sports in the country.
He commended the Lagos State Government for providing a platform for the initiative of partnership with companies in ensuring development of sports at the grassroots.
“The Lagos State Government has been so supportive in the area of promoting partnership with private companies in sports sponsorship, and the consistency in government policy in sports is all we need for development,’’ Oteje said.
The technical director also urged parents and guardians to encourage their children and wards to engage in sporting activities during the school holiday.
“Parents and guardians should be interested in their children’s extra-curricular activities because it’s always better to discover these children at their young ages,’’ he stated.(NAN)[eap_ad_4]
