The Meadow Hall Summer Football Camp with Daniel Amokachi, ex-international football star, which began on July 18 came to a close last Sunday, with many of the participants and their parents saying they were already looking forward to the next edition.
Throughout the five days of the camp which held at Meadow Hall, Lekki, Lagos, with Amokachi on ground to guide and improve the children, children aged 4-17 years were offered the opportunity to take their budding interest in football to the next level as there were numerous activities and drills to not only keep them entertained but also teach them the basics of the game.
The final day of the camp afforded parents of the participants the opportunity to watch their children compete against one another and showcase the skills they acquired over the period. It was a spectacle as the parents’ faces beamed with pride on seeing their potential superstars striding along the turf.
Seyi Akinwunmi, chairman, Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), in a goodwill message at the closing ceremony commended the continued “progress of Meadow Hall” in “not just creating football talent but also developing social skills”.
“I was here when they first opened the turf, and they explained how serious they were about sports; I am happy to see they have fulfilled that,” he said.
Akinwunmi, who said he was happy to see schools like Meadow Hall continue to push the effort, added that his main focus in the state was to ensure that “football isn’t seen as an alternative, but rather as a supplement to school work”, which was why he had been going around schools that share this idea to “encourage them to keep up the good work”.
“It’s a pleasure to be wanted; it’s grace from heaven when an institution like Meadow Hall wants to partner with you,” said Amokachi, who also commended Meadow Hall for the dedication to not just football but all sports that include basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, athletics track and swimming pool.
“This is a great platform for the next generation,” he said, pointing out at least six of the participants who could potentially become football stars in the future with “hard work, dedication and the right guidance”.
Charles Imevbore, Meadow Hall Group’s executive director, Business Affairs, said they were already looking forward to the 3rd edition of the camp with Amokachi, whom he described as a “great ambassador of football both here and abroad”.
Onome Obruthe, a parent whose child participated, praised Meadow Hall for encouraging girls to play alongside their male counterparts.
“Sport is meant for both sexes, and I’m delighted my daughter had a great time at the Meadow Hall Summer Football Camp with Daniel Amokachi,” Obruthe said.
The highlight of the event was the handing of certificates to all the participants by the guests of honour as well as the coaches who passionately taught them over the five-day period.
