NFF partners Calabar-based football academy
The Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Elder Bitrus Bewarang has said that the Federation has concluded plans to partner with management of PARS Football Academy, Calabar in the promotion of grassroots soccer in the country.
Bewarang disclosed this during the opening ceremony/launching of First International Standard PARS Football Academy in Calabar and he explained that the federation will never allow the academy`s footballers to be taken abroad on slavery.
The technical director however, commended the management for putting up modern sports facilities, and enjoined them to aggressively seek for sponsors to be able to remain in business just as NFF will give them necessary support to succeed.
“For this singular initiative to have invested in such area of human capital potential and for not thinking like most Nigerians, who prefer to put their monies in ventures that they can reap quick rewards, NFF weight is solidly behind the academy.
“We remain a bulwark to ensure that this project survives. What I have seen here is more than enough to make NFF give approval; PARS Academy has passed the test of becoming an academy,” Bewarang stated.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Academy, Mr Henry Ojugu, said the academy was incorporated in Nigeria in 2016 with foreign (Swiss) partnership but lamented that despite the rich history of Cross River state on sports, the state hardly boast of first line player in the national team, let alone in the international arena.
He said that one of the major pre-occupation of the academy is to build champions and not mediocre players, adding that in Pythagorean they do not only train young people how to play football, but also teach young players about discipline, excellence and attitude that will help young footballers hit stardom.
