Enugu: UBEC Targets Grassroots Talent Through Schools Sports
By Jane Daniels
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has intensified efforts to promote grassroots sports development and discover young talents through its Basic Education Schools Sports (BESS) competition.
The UBEC Basic Education Schools Sports Desk Officer, Mr. Umar Dauda, disclosed this on Friday in Enugu during the state final of the competition, organised in collaboration with the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) at the UNEC Stadium.
Dauda, represented by the General Secretary, South-East Sports UBEC, Mr. Philips Omeri, said the competition reflected the commission’s commitment to strengthening basic education and providing pupils with opportunities to demonstrate their sporting abilities.
Dauda explained that winners would represent Enugu State at the zonal competition, adding that the initiative was designed to expose promising young athletes to opportunities beyond their schools and states.
He urged participants to uphold discipline, sportsmanship and mutual respect, advising them to accept the outcome of the competition in good faith.
He noted that sports played an important role in promoting children’s physical fitness, personal development and social integration.
Also speaking, ENSUBEB Member One, Mr. Afam Nnaji, said the competition was designed to identify and nurture sporting talents from an early age while keeping pupils physically fit and mentally alert.
Nnaji assured that identified talents would be encouraged to sustain their training as they progressed from primary to secondary education and beyond, with opportunities to compete at national and international levels.
The competition would provide greater opportunities for discovering more sporting talents among basic education pupils in the State and beyond.
