By Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL side Lobi Stars Football Club at the weekend unveiled its Soccer Academy.
The event which held at the ultra modern Aper Aku Stadium Makurdi, saw over 270 kids aged between 10- 18 years with their parents sign the dotted lines of their contract papers as they were unveiled to supporters of the team.
Vice Chairman of Lobi Stars Tama Aondofa explained that the vision of the soccer academy is to avail the kids the opportunity to grow as best as they can in the game, adding that he has chosen some of the best coaches to work with the kids.
Tama said the project will be sustained because it has the absolute backing of Governor Samuel Ortom, maintaining that he will partner the private sector in and outside the country to develop the academy.
“I have network overseas and so, by next year, several academies would come here and sign pacts with us. I have done this in the US for 22 years. Partnership is the key thing because if you do not have solid partners that can support you with equipment and balls, it will difficult to sustain it. So, I will see it to the finish and anyone who takes over from me, will continue to run it.
“Also, through the partnership, the kids can get scholarship to school in the US. Am a beneficiary of this”, he siad.
The Lobi administrator advised parents to take seriously development of their kids by ensuring that they do not miss out on training, stressing, ‘if you do not drive them to practice, they will miss out on technical and tactical sessions and then, will have to.play catch up’.
A parent and University don Dr. Daniel Ior lauded the project as a ‘rebirth’ of football in the State.
It should be noted that Lobi is the first NPFL side to establish an academy.
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