By Peter Amine
African Athletes Academy (3As), a sports and entertainment outfit has established a sports academy in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau to train potential talents in sports and academics.
The academy`s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Edwin Ademola stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after unveiling of 3As` office and coffee shop in Jos on Monday.
Ademola said the academy; a Benin Republic-based sports consortium was working in collaboration with Nigerian and international institutions to bridge the gap between sports and education.
He stated that the academy would engage youths of 10 to 18 years, who have shone their skills and make them saleable nationally and internationally.
Ademola said that the academy has created a conducive environment for the athletes to operate from.
He said that a partnership agreement has been signed with the Plateau University Bokkos, to handle academic aspect of the U-20 training programmes.
“We understand the role education plays in sports especially football. Football, for example, has a life span of about 15 years and after that what next?
“That is why we came up with a compulsory and sporting education programme, to bridge the gap and make the useful and productive use of members of the society after their retirement from sports.
“To achieve this vision, we have many partners working with us. We are working in synergy with Plateau ministry of sports having officially registered with the ministry.
“Since sports involve lots of energy loss, we are working with Organo Coffee Company that would help the athletes replenish their energy,’’ he explained.
Ademola said that his organisation devised innovative ways in terms of branding young talents both in sports and entertainment industries.
Organo Coffee Consultant, Peter Bila told NAN that Organo and 3As have a common ground to establish a future where Nigerian athletes would achieve their talents.
Bila said that Organo has symbiotic relationship with 3As to boost vitality of the athletes and bring out the best in them in terms of performance.
The consultant further said that having talents was not enough, adding that commercialising such talents was essential for maximum benefits.
He stated that Organo was also assisting 3As to commercialise the talents discovered in the sports and entertainment sectors. (NAN)(
