By Edema Fuludu

In continuation of its push to train over one thousand Physical Education teachers and students in netball within the year 2027, Community Sports and Educational Development Initiative, CSED recently trained 46 PE teachers including two students in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria

The two-day training which held at the
St. Cornelia Connelly College in the State’s capital, Uyo was in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom State Secondary Education Board (SSEB).

The SSEB Director of Sports, Pastor Emmanuel Ebong who represented the Chairman of the Board, Dr Ekaete Ebong Okon declared the netball training event open.

Dr Ekaete Ebong Okon expressed delight in witnessing the return of netball which she played in her secondary school days.

Forty-six Physical Education teachers (including two secondary school students) drawn from all the local government areas of the state attended the introduction to netball training conducted by three Netball Africa certified coaches; Dr Grace Ataha, Edema Fuludu and Onome Edema.

The Head of Department, Physical and Health Education, University of Uyo, Prof. Ukeme Eyo attended the opening ceremony.

Prof Eyo thanked CSED Initiative for choosing Akwa Ibom state to be one of the first three states in Nigeria to hold the training of teachers in netball as the three Netball Africa
coaches took turn in teaching the participants the theory and practical skills of the game of
netball.

The first day was on theoretical aspect of the game and participants were taken to the marked grass netball court, where they were taught about the dimension of the netball court and were showed some of the basic netball kits/equipment (finger-held whistles, netball balls, practicing bibs and netball rims/post).

It’s followed by netball warm up, ball throwing and catching exercises.

On day 2, most of the training took place in the marked grass netball court. Basic netball
drills were introduced after the participants were divided into four teams. The field training enabled the participants to put into practice what they have learned about the seven positions of netball and the responsibilities of the players based on their position.

It’s followed by a netball practice session. The Netball Africa coaches also talked to the participants about their safeguarding responsibility by ensuring that students who take part in sports activities do so in a safe and abuse-free environment. Dr Grace Ataha also gave a brief talk about the negative impact of drug abuse in the wider society and the sport ecosystem.

In his closing remarks, the SSEB Director of Sports promised to introduce netball in Akwa
Ibom youth games and inter-house sports competitions in future. He urged the trainees to retrain others and make sure that the game flourishes in the state.

A representative of the participants, Charity Etukudo thanked CSED Initiative for their kind gesture of training and equipping the P.E. teachers for free. She promised to make good use of the knowledge gained at this training event for the good of her students.

At the end of the training session, certificates of attendance and 31 netball starter packs
(netball rims/nets, netball balls, finger-held whistles and two separate colours of netball
training bibs) were given to the participants. However, given the large turn-out of the P.E.
teachers, CSED Initiative will arrange for 12 additional netball starter packs to be distributed within the next two weeks.

The Akwa Ibom netball training event brings to 108, the number of P.E. teachers and community youths that have been trained under the two-day “PROJECT 2027,” netball training programme in Nigeria.

“PROJECT 2027” aims to promote SDG 5 (Gender Equality), by bringing the game of netball to the attention of one million Nigerian
school girls before the end of December 2027. Netball is currently the only sport that is
specifically developed for girls and women.