Former Super Eagles player, Ajilore launches football clinic in Abuja
by The Ajasa News | November 3, 2019 10:21 pm
By Martin Odiete
It was indeed a new dawn in Nigeria football as former Super Eagles player; Femi Ajilore launched a football clinic in Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria on Saturday.
The event which took place at the PSI sporting center, Mabuchi saw Abuja parents bring their kids to be part of the launch of the football clinic, tagged ‘Time out with Ajilore’
Speaking with www.theajasanews.com, the former player who not quite long hung his playing boots explained what motivated him into setting up the football clinic for kids in Abuja.
“First of all I want to give the glory to God because it was a dream I had since my playing days, especially while I was playing in Europe. While there, I saw how kids were developed, and it was there I had nursed the idea that some days I would love to see my own kids or people that I know, their kids grow and develop in the right way.
“So, after some while, when I returned to Nigeria, I looked around to see if there were developmental programs for kids because I actually wanted to enroll my kids, and I discovered that the few that I managed to see lacked the basic things. So that came up as a challenge to me having seen how things worked over there in Europe. And I even participated in some programs like that where I managed kids. That was where I got the inspiration, having played the game I deemed it necessary to give back to the society, those things I was trying to imagine, I should be able to bring it into reality. That was how the dream started.
“And I thank God for keeping me alive to actualize the dream. And of course my goal for the program is to see some of these kids grow up some day to be super stars, because I could remember while I was very young like them, I started like this but in our time it was not as easy as it is these days, because we started in the street, but these days a lot of things have changed. As you can see today it started like a play. You can see when we bought them together, because of that round leather they were all together and it was very interesting to see how the kids responded as well. So, I hope to help them develop in the right way.
Femi Ajilore faults the developmental pattern of Nigeria football development noting that most the players were not availed opportunities like this at the cradle stage of their football career.
“Another thing I discovered, the way we groom young players in Nigeria is not the same with the way they do it in Europe, and if we, myself and other people that have this experience can be doing such program it will help our grassroots develop in the right path. For instance, teaching them the basics from the grass root, not when they fifteen or seventeen that they want to start learning how to run or control or pass. These are what we want to bring into this, to help them know the basics right from their childhood, so that when they grow up, let say nine or ten years old you will already see them do all those things we use to see in Europe,” he said.
The event was graced by several top Nigerians among who were former technical director of the Nigeria football Federation, James Peter, former U-23 goal keeper, Emmanuel Babayaro and former Super Eagles psychologist, Robinson Okosun.
Source URL: https://theajasanews.com/former-super-eagles-player-ajilore-launches-football-clinic-in-abuja/