Football history was made Saturday in Lagos, as the first batch of 100 grassroots football coaches graduated as certified coaches from the National Institute for Sports (NIS) in the specialised one-month training course facilitated by the Lagos State Football Association in conjunction with the institution.
Speaking during the epic event, Professor Olawale Moronkola, the Director-General/CEO of the National Institute for Sports, congratulated the graduates for a successful completion of the special training course, stressing that the event marked a significant milestone, not only for the NIS but also for the Lagos State Football Association as well as the future of grassroots football in Nigeria.
He said, “This initiative was born out of the pressing need to address the challenge of unqualified coaches and the widespread presence of quackery in our football system.”
He went ahead to express his gratitude to Lagos FA for its unwavering support and collaboration on the initiative.
“Your commitment to developing grassroots football is commendable, and together, we can continue to build a robust framework that supports the growth of the sport at all levels,” he enthused.
Chairman of Lagos FA, Hajji Gafar Liameed, expressed his delight at the successful conclusion of the pilot batch of the training course, describing it as a momentous feat that would help the establishment of a properly structured and sustainable football ecosystem in Lagos State.
Gafar enthused confidently that the LSFA plans to train over 5,000 grassroots football coaches in four years, adding that the rippling effects would be of great benefit to Lagos State and Nigerian football in general.
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