Dudu-Orumen tasks corporate bodies on youth sports growth

The Rector of Cowbell Football Academy (CFA), Godwin Dudu-Orumen, has urged corporate organisations to emulate Promasidor Nigeria Limited, which has been involved in youth sports growth and sponsorship.
 
According to Dudu-Orumen, the corporate community in the country is yet to harness five per cent of the potential in youth sports sponsorship, which he described as a goldmine.
 
While assessing the impacts of CFA, an initiative sponsored by Cowbell Milk on the country’s football development in recent years, he said youth sports has the capacity to promote visibility of local brands even beyond national borders, as well as promote consumer loyalty and increase sales.

It is also a cheap publicity opportunity for the companies, enhancing brand recall. Unfortunately, many corporate organisations have not responded positively to this great potential,” he said.
 
On his part, the academy’s Head Coach/Technical Coordinator, Hyacienth Nkwocha, observed CFA and other professionally managed academies have improved the quality of grassroots football development in the country.

“We have improved on the quality of training in the past few years. We focus on the fundamentals of football and our processes and tactics are research-based. There have been tremendous improvements unlike those days when nobody cares about taking the kids through the nitty-gritty of the game.
 
“The increasing involvement of ex-internationals in the running of academies has raised the tempo, improved professionalism and injected discipline in the system. Football academies would continue to deliver more results if young footballers would be patient to hone their skills before rushing to Europe,” he said.
 
Miracle Okocha, a top student of CFA who was the Most Valuable Player in the 2014 Copa Coca-Cola Teen Camp in Brazil, called on young talents to patiently develop their skills before seeking opportunities abroad.