The sporting city of Lagos is now set to score another first
by hosting the maiden Legacy Sitting Volleyball Championship at the Indoor
Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
Ademola Johnson, Secretary-General of Nigeria Sitting
Volleyball Federation/Nigeria Paravolley Federation, in a statement issued in
Lagos, said that the championship was in conjunction with Lagos State Sports
Commission (LSSC).
According to Wikipedia, sitting volleyball is a form of
volleyball for athletes with a disability.
As opposed to standing volleyball, sitting volleyball
players must have, at least, one buttock in contact with the floor during the
game.
However, Johnson noted that Nigeria sitting volleyball
federation is a sanction invitational tournament and first of its kind for
development of sitting/paravolley sport in Nigeria.
Director of Para Sports Department, Ministry of Youth and
Sports Development, Peter Nelson, also said that the championship was
meaningful developmental process of popularising sitting/paravolley, amongst
other para-sports.
He applauded the sponsors for the gestures and support for
sitting volleyball.
“This tournament will create an opportunity for reuniting
and interaction amongst the stakeholders and unveiling the new Nigeria
Paravolley Federation Referee Association, the Nigeria ParaVolley Coaches
Association and other tools that will keep the federation working.
“Interestingly, the three invited teams from state sitting
volleyball associations from Kaduna, Bayelsa and Lagos have reassured the
federation of their participation in the maiden edition,” he said.
The chairman of Legacy Volleyball Club in Lagos and board
member, Lagos State Volleyball Association, Kayode Ladele, promised that the
backlog of four years unpaid annual affiliation subscription fees of category
“C” Worth of Eur 220 per year would be upset.
He said this would enable Nigeria to regain financial
membership with World ParaVolley for Team Nigeria paravolley to participate in
international/world championship.
“This is new hope at resuscitating our enviable sports with
frequent lines of both local and international events,” he said.
Abimbola also said that the aim of the organisers was to
further promote the sports like other sports.
“The championship will help build a formidable team that
will represent the state at both national and international tournaments.
“Sitting volleyball is not a new game, but just finding its feet
in Nigeria.
“The sport has been in existence for a long time; it
requires almost the same techniques as the normal volleyball, except that the
game is played by the physically-challenged persons,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that the programme of the events
is as follows: Teams’ arrival, June, 16; competition dates: from June 17 to
June 18 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment