By Eric Ojo
Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, a frontline sport for change Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has promised to use netball to empower the girl child in Bayelsa State.
A Trustee of CSED Initiative, Catherine Sasuode made the pledge at an event organized to mark this year’s edition of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), which was held at premises of Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenogoa.
The IDSDP which is held annually on 6 April, presents an opportunity to recognize the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and in people’s lives across the globe. The global theme for the 2023 IDSDP is “Scoring for People and the Planet”.
As in previous years, this overarching theme allows for IDSDP activities to broadly focus around the impact and influence of sport on sustainable development and peace.
Sport has the power to change the world; it is a fundamental right and a powerful tool to strengthen social ties and promote sustainable development and peace, as well as solidarity and respect for all.
From empowering women and girls, young people, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups to advancing health, sustainability, and education objectives, sport offers tremendous potential for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for promoting peace and human rights.
The United Nations has long recognized the power and universality of sport, using it to unite individuals and groups through supporting sport for development efforts, participating in events from the global to the grassroots level, and developing its own sports-related campaigns and initiatives.
Sasuode said the CSED is determined to do all it can to use netball to empower the girl child in the state.
This, according to her, will be hopefully achieved by providing the teachers/netball coaches with access to safeguarding training, as well as access to other free online sports for change courses that will broaden their knowledge and help them to nurture well rounded students and athletes
“CSED Initiative hope to hold a netball competition for students in Bayelsa State at the end of the current school year in July. As well as hold a one-week netball summer school camp for selected students in Bayelsa State during the summer holiday in August 2023.
“CSED hope to build on their cordial relationship with the good people of Bayelsa state, by exploring the possibility of bringing badminton (“Shuttle Time”) training to Bayelsa state before the end of the third term of the ongoing school year”, she said.
The CSED’s event to mark the 2023 IDSDP featured a Three Team Netball Open Challenge, involving students from two secondary schools (Redeemers International School and Tare Pet Montessori School ) as well as the Sports Council All Stars Netball Team.
The three netball teams were kitted by Lord’s Taverners a UK based sports kits recycling NGO. The ambiance at the venue was balanced with peace, sport and secular themed music.
Notably, the ambiance at the venue was balanced with peace, sport and secular themed music. The Guest of Honour at the event was the Bayelsa State Director of Sports, Sir Braveman Wodi.
Since the “Project 2027” netball training event started in Nigeria in July 2022, this is the first time students with netball trained teachers/coaches are having an inter-school event. Netball was re-introduced to Bayelsa State by CSED Initiative in January 2023.
Since it started, students and Physical and Education (P.E.) teachers in Bayelsa State have been yawning for an opportunity like this event to display their skills. At the end of the matches, Tare Pet Montessori School emerged the winner of the IDSPD tournament.
“Project 2027”, which is powered by CSED Initiative, is a grassroots netball development programme that is aimed at promoting the right of Nigerian girls to play the game.
The project’s ultimate goal is to bring the game of netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school girls before the end of 2027.