Upgrade NIS to Degree Institution, football administrator urges Nigerian Government
Aloysius Umalo, Makurdi
A Nigerian football administrator, Mr Timothy Tarnongo Tiza has urged the Nigerian Government to upgrade both equipment and standard of certificates at the National Institute for Sports, NIS, Surulere, Lagos to a degree awarding institution for proper training of football coaches.
Mr. Timothy Tiza who stated this during an interview with Voice of Nigeria, says when upgraded, the institute would boast of modern football coaching facilities and more qualified teachers with the zeal and commitment to transform the soccer industry in the country.
“Football coaching is a serious business now globally. It is a complete package and any nation desirous of making a serious impact in the world of football must brace up for the challenge”.
Tiza recalled that the National Institute for Sports which was conceptualised in 1972 and formally established in 1974 under the General Yakubu Gowon military regime has not contributed much in improving the performance of Nigeria in International sports competitions due to lack of modern facilities.
He noted that the absence of modern sports coaching facilities was the major reason why Nigeria has continued to import and spend so much on foreign coaches for the nation’s national teams.
He said football management in Nigeria cannot witness significant transformation if research and training institutions such as NIS were not upgraded in content and infrastructure to meet competing needs and contemporary design.
“When a manager receives professional coaching, their team members also benefit from the mentoring as well as the leadership development and coaching culture which the manager brings back into the team”.
He maintained that football coaching was a highly personalized and individualized well-being intervention with a powerful and positive impact on self-confidence, wellness and work performance for both the coach and his players.
Mr. Tiza whose Club, Zeal Minds Football Academy won this year’s edition of the under twenty category of the Benue State Amateur football League will represent the state in the national Amateur football league competition next season.
He announced the award of a free training course in Ghana for the academy coach that won the competition
which he believes would impact on the team.
“We are demonstrating our commitment to providing our coaches with the best and most varied collection of football trainings where there are modern equipment.
“Through the various trainings our coaches have attended, we’ve learned quite a lot about how to reliably deliver positive coaching outcomes for all kinds of players in our football academy grades”.
He expressed confidence that the players and the coaching crew of Zeal Minds Football Academy would make impressive performances in the national Amateur League when the campaigns kick off next season.
Zeal Minds football academy had defeated Shinning Stars football Academy of Daudu by 2 goals to nil to emerge winners of the competition held at the weekend at McCarthy Stadium in Makurdi, the state capital.
The Zeal Minds Football Academy owner told Voice of Nigeria that the team lacks access to a standard stadium with synthetic pitch and modern facilities to
expose the players to the challenges ahead.
He announced that some key players of the academy who took part in the competition were on their way out of the country to play for foreign clubs in other countries.
The football administrator appealed to the Nigerian Government to create a more conducive atmosphere for a healthy development of football in the country .
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