By Cornelius Ehimiaghe
The Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) in collaboration with Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative and Benue State Sports Council has hosted the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Shutte Time training in Makurdi, Benue State.
Shuttle Time is a grassroots badminton programme that is designed by the BWF with the aim of introducing badminton to school students and the wider community.
In 2012 BWF launched Shuttle Time to the world. A schools badminton programme supporting the principle that children should lead a healthy and active life, both in and out of school.
Notably, the initiative offers school teachers access to free resources, training and equipment, which support the teaching of enjoyable, safe and inclusive badminton activities to children aged 5-15 years old.
Its lessons are designed to provide children with a positive image of badminton through many opportunities to have fun, engage with others and experience success.
The programme has expanded remarkably since its inception and the BWF’s goal is to make badminton one of the world’s most popular and accessible school sports
Meanwhile, Shuttle Time is currently being implemented in more than 140 countries in partnership with BWF’s Continental Confederations and Member Associations.
The hybrid WBF Shuttle Time training which was held at the Makurdi Club 1930 Badminton Section from the 25th to 27th of April, was attended by 24 Physical Education (P.E.) teachers and 25 students that were drawn from 18 secondary schools in the state.
The training sessions were facilitated by the Shuttle Time National Coordinator, Suleiman Tajudeen and Zonal Tutor, Nguamo Patricia Akpusugh.
During the training sessions, teachers were taught teachers how to engage with school students, lead badminton training sessions, facilitate safe fun training activities, group management etc. The teachers were taught the theory and practical aspect of the game of badminton.
Speaking at the event, Tajudeen explained that Shuttle Time is a programme that is designed by the BWF to provide easy access to children and youths at the grassroots level to learn the basics of the game of badminton with the support of their teachers in a fun filled and safe environment.
The Shuttle Time training, according to him, is one of the few sports training event where students and teachers learn together at the same time.
Similarly, a Zonal Tutor of Shuttle Time in Nigeria, and the Benue State number one female badminton player, Nguamo Patricia Akpusugh said the initiative is aimed at harnessing badminton talents at the grassroots and integrating badminton into school sports programme.
Also in his remarks, the President of Makurdi Club 1930, Salem Atsehe expressed his gratitude to the programme organisers and commended the Chairman of Benue State Badminton Association, Sam Adinngi and the State Badminton Coach Agbo Onazi for attracting the training event to the state.
The overall feedback received from teachers and students that attended the training is that they found the training event to be enjoyable, and they wished the duration of the training should be more.
At the end of the event, basic badminton equipment (rackets, shuttlecocks and nets) were provided to representatives of the eighteen schools that took part in the training.