Minister harps on professional training for Nigerian coaches

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has called for proper and regular training for Nigerian coaches in order to fast track sports development in the country.
The minister made the call on Friday at the closing ceremony of the LMC/LaLiga Partnership training for Nigerian youth coaches at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
Dare stressed the need for professional and scientific coaching, especially from the youth level, for Nigeria to improve on its sports development in line with international best practice.
He said: “It is a fact that at the very heart of sports development are the coaches.
“When you talk about the technical depth of our teams and players, it rests with the coaches and it starts from the grassroots.”
Dare commended the organisers of the programme for the vision, while calling for it to be extended to more coaches and other sports.
He also used the occasion to highlight the Ministry’s Talent Hunt Programme, which will begin in March, with the aim of discovering and nurturing young talents across the nation.
Earlier, the Chairman of the League Management Company, Shehu Dikko, said the workshop was part of the technical partnership of the Spanish League and its Nigerian counterpart.
Dikko said the partnership will go a long way in developing the Nigerian league and exposing young Nigerian footballers.
He said: “Through this partnership we have had an NPFL All-Star team playing tour of Spain, where they played Valencia, Malaga and Atletico Madrid as well as seminars for club administrators and media officers.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the four-day workshop, which herald the annual NPFL/LaLiga U-15 tournament, had coaching instructors from LaLiga and other football stakeholders in attendance.