The Anambra State Government has commenced a capacity-building workshop for sports instructors, coaches, officers and administrators as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots sports development and professionalise the state’s sports sector.
The training, held at the Awka South Local Government Headquarters in Amawbia, brought together sports practitioners from Anambra Central Senatorial District, who were retrained and certified.
Addressing participants at the event, themed “Roles of Sports Practitioners in Building Champions on and Off the Field,” the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Mr. Patrick Agha Mba, described the workshop as another significant milestone in the state government’s efforts to reposition sports as a strategic instrument for youth empowerment, employment generation, talent discovery, grassroots development and wealth creation.
He said the initiative aligned with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s People’s Manifesto and Solution 2.0 Agenda.
The Commissioner noted that building a vibrant, competitive and sustainable sports ecosystem begins with the people driving sports development at the grassroots.
According to him, the state cannot effectively discover and nurture champions, protect young athletes or build a strong sports economy without competent, adequately trained, professionally guided and accountable sports practitioners.
He explained that this informed the ministry’s decision to embark on statewide data capturing, registration, retraining and certification of sports practitioners across Anambra State.
“Our objective is very simple: to ensure that every sports practitioner working within the Anambra sports ecosystem is equipped to perform his or her responsibilities effectively, professionally and responsibly,” he said.
Agha Mba called for increased investment in sports personnel and urged participants to take the training seriously, actively engage in the sessions and apply the knowledge and skills acquired to their respective roles.
Speaking after the exercise, some participants described the initiative as the first of its kind in the state, expressing optimism that it would improve the quality of grassroots sports development in Anambra.
The workshop also featured paper presentations on key areas of sports development.
Dr. Iyke Nwokedi presented a paper on “Effective Sports Management and Grassroots Development,” while Anthonia Uwa spoke on “Health, Safety, Nutrition and Athletes’ Welfare.”
Oliver Ndigwe delivered a presentation on “Sports as a Career: The Numerous Opportunities, Coaching Codes of Conduct,” while Ugonwaeze Agugo addressed participants on “Sports Laws and Compliance.”
