Organisers explain decision to hold Oworonsoki Valentine basketball clinic
THE organisers of the just concluded Ayo Charity Foundation’s basketball clinic have explained that they chose the catch-themyoung event as a means of taking Nigerian youths away from crime and other unproductive way of life. Over 60 children from the Oworonshoki area of Lagos State participated at the basketball training clinic organized by the Ayo Charity Foundation as part of the Valentine festivities.
The event, tagged ‘Valentine Basketball Programme Against Drug Abuse,’ was put together by the foundation in conjunction with fourthree.com and Del Basketball Nigeria to teach street kids how to live a violent free life.
Speaking at the event, the technical director of the clinic, Coach Awonuga Oladele Simon said apart from the Valentine programme, the basketball foundation always held special clinics every three months to keep the children in Oworonshoki out of the streets.
He added: “The Basketball Foundation is to also help monitor the progress of the children in schools. Our relationship with parents gives the foundation the privilege to get feedbacks on the children’s behaviour.
“We don’t allow any child that does not do well in school and in their homes take active part in the basketball clinic.
“Apart from basketball, we create a platform to have a good working relationship with the children’s parents and teachers. The foundation is not interested in taking any child abroad to play basketball, but we allow international organisations, which want to give the children scholarships in sports or education, to come to the camp and monitor the children and youths.”