The Managing Director, MD of Nestle Nigeria Plc., Dharnesh Gordhon says the 2013 edition of the Milo Football Clinic has showed tremendous progress in the company’s effort to help in the development of football in Nigeria.
Gordhon was speaking during the closing ceremony of the final leg of this year’s clinic held at the Agege Stadium, Lagos on Saturday, 16 November.
He praised the initiator of the youth development programme, Peter Rufai for a job well done, declaring that his company has successfully trained 14,000 football champions in seven cities; Abuja, Benin City, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Akure, Abeokuta and Lagos State this year.
He said the Milo Football Clinic, which is in its fourth consecutive season, has produced thousands of young talents who are getting set to take the country’s football by the storm.
“The clinic is a sports initiative/platform of Nestle Milo in conjunction with Peter Rufai and FIFA certified European football experts, to coach the children with the latest scientific techniques of playing football and teach them the core values for success in the game of life,” Gordhon said at Agege Stadium.
Responding, Rufai said: “We have impacted on these young players positively and tutored them on the modern techniques of football, which is not common here in Nigeria. We are able to do this because our sponsor, Milo, believes in future champions, and I’m happy about the success of this clinic, and I thank Milo for supporting the vision”.
The clinic started with thousands of young boys and girls last month with the Abuja leg from 2-5 October, then moved to Benin City in Edo State, where renowned coaches tutored the kids between 8-12 October.
Rufai and his train then relocated to the Garden City to stage the Port Harcourt leg from 15-19 October, while the Enugu State leg was held between 22-26 October, before the kids in Akure, Ondo State had their share from 29 October – 2 November.
The clinic was also held in Abeokuta, Ogun State from 5-9 November before finally arriving in Lagos for the grand finale held between 12-16 November, where the kids were exposed to series of football techniques throughout the week.
Rufai and his experienced coaches took the kids through stamina build up, ball control, passing, marking, team-play and concentration to mention just a few of the skills they acquired in the week long exercise.
The 32 players who made the final list selected by the foreign football technocrats on ground, were divided into the two teams that played a football match, which climaxed the event in Agege.
The company has also promised to give scholarships to the best players discovered during the clinic held in the seven cities across Nigeria to help the kids actualise their educational development and football careers.