President of the Academical Sports, Segun Odegbami, has predicted a bright future for Nigerian sports if developmental programmes from the grassroots are given adequate attention.
The former Green Eagles winger stated this after the final of the Milo U-12 football final of the National School Sports Festival which ended on Thursday in Calabar, Cross River State.
The 1980 Nations Cup winner said he was extremely delighted to see that players within the stipulated age bracket featured in the championship, where the winners will represent Nigeria at the 2012 Milo U-13 African Football Championship in Accra, Ghana.
“I must confess that I’m fascinated with what I saw here (Calabar). First, the kids showed passion and hunger which are some of the ingredients needed to excel in the game; and they are real U-12 which suggests that people are now reasoning alongside some of us that has been preaching against the overage players which is borne out of the win-at-all-cost syndrome which has always been the order of the day,” the former IICC of Ibadan star said.
While urging other corporate bodies to borrow a leaf from Milo, he commended the sponsors for extending their relationship in bankrolling grassroots sports.
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Odegbami wants focus on grass roots, lauds Milo