LAGOS – A member of the Lagos State Volleyball Referees Association, Taiwo Kool, has urged that more competitions like the ongoing Ibile Games be organised to develop the skills of upcoming volleyball players. Kool told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the quality of skills exhibited by secondary school students at the Games were high.
According to him, they should be encouraged by engaging them in regular competitions.
The Games, which started on April 30, will end on May 11.
He said it was aimed at discovering new talents for the 19th National Sports Festival (NSF) to be hosted by Cross River State in Calabar.
Kool suggested that more training and exposure were necessary to facilitate the development of the players up to national and international levels.
He said there were schools that produced good players who exhibited high level of skills but unfortunately did not measure up to standard.
“We had to put them through the fundamentals of the game but on average, it is not bad performances from them.
“More training is needed for the students and the Games masters to ensure adequate exposure to current rules and regulations in the game.
“And this can be done by conducting seminars or workshop, so that they can be taught these new rules and regulations,’’ Kool said.
Kool, one of the referees at the ongoing Games, also said the students must endeavour to create time to sharpen their skills.
“The problem we have with volleyball in Lagos State is the absence of regular competitions; if more competitions can be organised, there will be more improvements.
“We can tap into the raw talents and bring them up so that they can become better players at national and international levels,’’ he said.
Kool also stressed that volleyball was a simple game and with availability of facilities to assist the growth, players can be developed further.
“If you have the upright poles and the net, you can play it anywhere; but we just need to have standard courts in many centres in Lagos’’. (NAN)