13th September, 2010
The Central Working Committee of Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme has informed the coaches attached to the talent discovery programme to submit the names of athletes they considered suitable for adoption by the would-be-sponsors.
This request was the aftermath of a screening exercise that led to a 14-day close camping at the Nigerian Army Sports Camp, Myoung Barracks, Somolu, Lagos in August this year.
During the camping, the athletes under the strict supervision of their coaches, were monitored to ascertain their skills acquisition, attitude during the tedious training at the UNILAG Sports Centre, Yaba, their behaviour while in camp, their interaction with fellow athletes within the camp and their general composure both inside and outside the training pitch.
According to Dr. Niran Adeniji, the Coordinating Consultant of the programme at the office of Prince Wale Oladunjoye, the Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development to Governor Raji Fashola, “we have received the final list from the coaches. The Central Working Committee will soon release the list of successful athletes considered suitable for adoption. That’ll be after we might have held meetings with parents and guardians of the athletes for their consent before we start allocating their wards to would-be-sponsors.â€
Dr. Adeniji informed that the athletes, who took part in the recently concluded close camping last month, have continued their all-year- round training in the six sports of the programme in an open camp, to ensure that the training and momentum gained during the close camp are sustained.