CSED Trains Additional 46 Teachers, Two Secondary Students In Uyo

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, Sports News Saturday, August 27th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, a frontline Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board (SSEB) has trained additional 46 Physical and Health Education (P.E) teachers and two secondary school students on netball in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

This brings the total number of teachers, students and community youth that have been trained under the “Project 2027 Netball Training Programme in Nigeria”, powered by CSED Initiative to 108 beneficiaries so far.

Project 2027 aims to promote SDG 5 (gender equality), by bringing the game of netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school girls before the end of December 2027. Netball is currently the only sport that is specifically developed for girls and women.

The beneficiaries of the two-day training which was hosted by St. Cornelia Connelly College, Uyo, were drawn from all the local government areas of the state. The training was conducted by three Netball Africa certified coaches; Dr Grace Ataha, Edema Fuludu and Onome Edema.

The three Netball Africa coaches took turn in teaching the participants the theory and practical skills of the game of netball.

The first day was basically the theoretical aspect of the game. The participants were introduced to netball, taken to the marked grass netball court, where they were taught about the dimension of the netball court and were showed some of the basic netball kits/equipment (finger-held whistles, netball balls, practicing bibs and netball rims/post). This was then followed by netball warm up exercises, ball throwing and catching exercises.

On day 2, most of the training took place in the marked grass netball court. Basic netball drills were introduced after the participants were divided into four teams. This field practice enabled the participants to put into practice what they have learned about the seven positions of netball and the responsibilities of the players based on their position.

This was then followed by a netball practice session. The Netball Africa coaches also talked to the participants about their safeguarding responsibility by ensuring that students who take part in sports activities do so in a safe and abuse-free environment.

In addition, Dr Grace Ataha gave a brief talk about the negative impact of drug abuse in the wider society and the sport ecosystem.

At the end of the training session, certificates of attendance and 31 netball starter packs (netball rims/nets, netball balls, finger-held whistles and two separate colours of netball training bibs) were given to the participants.

Impressed by the large turn-out of the P.E teachers at the event, the CSED Initiative promised to arrange for 12 additional netball starter pack to be distributed within the next two weeks.

While declaring the event open, the Chairman of SSEB in the state, Dr Ekaete Ebong Okon who was represented by SSEB Director of Sports, Pastor Emmanuel Ebong, expressed her delight to witness the return of netball which she played in her secondary school days.

The Head of Department of Physical and Health Education of the University of Uyo, Professor Ukeme Eyo, who attended the opening ceremony of the event, thanked CSED Initiative for choosing Akwa Ibom state to be one of the first three states in Nigeria to hold the training of teachers in netball.

Similarly, a representative of the participants, Charity Etukudo thanked CSED Initiative for their kind gesture of training and equipping the P.E. teachers for free. She promised to make good use of the knowledge gained at this training event for the good of her students.

In his closing remarks, the SSEB Director of Sports promised to introduce netball in Akwa Ibom youth games and inter-house sports competitions in future. He urged the trainees to retrain others and make sure that the game flourishes in the state.