By Pamela Eboh, Awka on December 23, 2020

It has been an excitement galore and fun fair as seventy kids from different backgrounds gather for the ex-Falcons player/coach kiddies football camp take off at the Anglican Girls Grammar school, Nkpor camp ground in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The kids within the age range of 10-15 years arrived the camping ground on Saturday morning to the warm welcome of the queen of the round leather game, sports administrators, the media and coaches.

Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the five-day training camp, the youngest kid in the camp, seven-year-old Amanda said she loves playing football, hence, the reason she was on her mother’s neck to bring her to the camp.

“I’m a huge lover of football and I have looked for the opportunity to play until I heard about this holiday camp. I disturbed my mother until she agreed to but the form and brought me here.

“I know if I am dedicated and play well, I will become rich through football to help my mother.

On their part, two sisters that came to the training camp from Port Harcourt, Marvelous Uzoho and Miracle Uzoho said that playing football comes with a lot of opportunities, saying that football will take them to abroad.”

Speaking to journalists, Ambassador Maureen Mmadu said the kids would be taught the basic football tips in two sessions each day with fitness drills and dance to make it fun.

She said the trainees with best prospects would be mentored to become potential signings for local and international clubs.

Mmadu said: “I am glad that despite making provision for 300 kids, as initially planned, I am impressed with the number of participants that turned out. I am still expecting more to join the camp as the number of forms sold has not been exhausted.

“Some of them are still on the way, we sold more forms than those here. Again, some parents thought it was not going to be this serious. Others considered that Christmas was close, but I am impressed with the outcome in this first edition.”

According to the soccer legend, her aim of creating the football camp was to expose young girls to the opportunities that abound in football as a career choice just as it is obtainable in their male counterparts.

She said the girls would also be encouraged to pursue excellence in their education while playing football.

A veteran football administrator and ex Rangers International player, Victor Nwangwu, said he got emotional seeing the number of kids aspiring to become female footballers.

“I commend Mmadu for giving back to the society that made her.

“Time has gone when they said football is not for girls, everywhere there is male football, there is also female version, that is why female league is everywhere,

“I thank Maureen for the opportunity she is giving to these kids.”

A parent of a participant, Mr Raymond Odenigbo, expressed delight that his daughter was part of the programme.

While saying that nothing would be lost if the child does not play up to the professional level, he said that sports helps to make a child complete.

“I am happy she is here, if she was in the house she would not have been doing anything, so she is at the best place at this time,” he added.

So far, 11-year-old Chinecherem Nwankwor has been discovered as a great dribbler that needs to be harnessed.

The five-day maiden camp which has former female players as coaches will end today, Wednesday, December 23 2020.

•PHOTO: Participants and officials of the Maureen Mmadu kiddies camp

Source Daily sports

Posted December 23, 2020

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