Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, in partnership with Edo State Senior Secondary Schools Education Board (SSEB), and Edo State Sports Commission (ESSC), has revealed that it has trained 38 secondary schools’ Physical and Health Education teachers, as well as Physical Education practitioners from UNIBEN and College of Education, Igueben.

The training, held at the Media Centre and Indoor Sports hall of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, was facilitated by Netball Africa certified coaches, which include Bethel Omigie, Onome Edward Fuludu, Patience Odiri Urhobojevwe and Edema Fuludu.

The participants were taught the theoretical and practical aspects of netball, which, though uniquely designed for girls and women, is now gradually trying to be inclusive by encouraging boys to learn how to play the game.

While addressing the participants, the National coordinator of CSED Initiative, Edema Fuludu stated that he was happy with the turnout at the training, noting that the two-day seminar provided participants opportunity to understand the basics of netball, as well as the importance of safeguarding in sport.

“We are indeed very happy and would want to thank the Chairman of Edo State Sports Commission, Yusuf Alli, for collaborating with us, as well as the Edo State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, for approving this training for the future trainers, who will be saddled with the responsibility of teaching netball to our young girls and boys at various public and private educational institutions in Edo State.

“We want our girls to learn and benefit from playing the game of netball in future. There are good possibilities of getting scholarships and playing the game of netball at professional level in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Also, within the next eight years, netball is going to be included in the Olympic Games.”
At the end of the training event, free netball starter packs (netball balls, finger held whistles, netball training bibs and netball rims) were distributed to the representatives of the various educational institutions.

Fuludu recalled that in March 2020, CSED Initiative facilitated the first ever Netball Africa training seminar in Nigeria that led to the certification of 24 coaches.

That training was facilitated by Mary Waya, he said, adding that after the post-COVID era, in July 2022, CSED Initiative launched ‘Project 2027,’ a netball empowerment programme that aims to train and equip 1,200 P. E. teachers and practitioners in Nigeria in netball.

“Since then, over 340 P.E. teachers and practitioners have been trained in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Taraba, Enugu, Delta and Edo states.

“Based on the IDPs Uhogua experience, CSED Initiative also intends to introduce netball to marginalised and hard-to-reach members of the society in Nigeria,” he said.