Special Olympics Nigeria Partners ESPN to Kick off Training Programme for Coaches

Special Olympics Nigeria (SO Nigeria) recently launched the 2024 ESPN Unified Sports Programme with a three-day coach training session at the School for Persons with Special Needs in Osogbo, Osun State. 

The training, which held from June 5th to June 7th, 2024, included 52 new and existing volunteer coaches, teachers, and youths from the communities of Ife, Ilesa, and Osogbo in Osun State.

During the training, Mr. O. Olorunda, the Head of Service (HS) from the School Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Osun State, visited and expressed SUBEB’s commitment to involving people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in sports activities.

 He emphasized the importance of creating more access to sports facilities where individuals with and without ID can play together without segregation.

Over the past 20 years, the Unified Sports programme has expanded to 18 states across four political zones in Nigeria, involving over 12,000 participants. The programme has empowered 8,080 athletes, 6,051 partners, and 2,027 coaches. 

Currently, SO Nigeria includes 80 athletes and 51 partners in twice-weekly football and basketball training sessions in Ife, Ilesa, and Osogbo through the ESPN Unified Sports Programme.

Special Olympics Nigeria is dedicated to promoting the inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities through the Unified Sports Programme. This initiative provides sports training and competition opportunities where individuals with and without intellectual disabilities play as a team.