Sporting Competitions: Tandoh, Elliot Call for Early Preparation

The Executive Chairman of Lagos State Sports Council, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, a former President of the Athletes Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Mr. Toni Urhobo and a Lagos State lawmaker, Desmond Elliot have advocated the articulation of programmes that would encourage and support kids who are talented in different sports.

They made the call at the closing ceremony of this year’s Cowbell Football Academy Summer Camp held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. The three-week camp, which is sponsored by Cowbell milk, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, drew participation from young football talents between 4 and 18 years of age in different parts of Lagos and beyond.

The stakeholders also commended Promasidor for its commitment towards developing young sports talents, calling on other private sector players to emulate the company and show sufficient support to the growth of the country’s sports.

Speaking at the event, Elliot said Promasidor deserved honour for playing a lead role in the development of football talents through the sponsorship of Cowbell Football Academy, stating that Nigeria could not grow its sports sector unless it made deliberate attempts to develop its young talents at their tender age.

According to Tandoh, Nigeria could only leverage the developmental benefits of sports by taking the sector to the grassroots and the schools. He said Cowbell Football Academy had, over the years, demonstrated how young talents could be nurtured.

“We are beginning to see the results of the investment Promasidor has made in Cowbell Football Academy. If we don’t get it right at the foundational level, there is little or nothing we can do at the elite level. Everything we need to do in terms of discipline, attitude and development for those who will be great sports men and women has to be done at the foundational level. And we are glad that Promasidor is doing this,” Tandoh noted.