Taritimiye Gagariga, a board member of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation’s (NVBF),
has stated that he would continue to organize competitions across the country so as to create opportunities for players to showcase their hidden volleyball talents.
Gagariga told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Wednesday, in Abuja, that because of his passion for the growth and development of volleyball at the grassroots level, he organized a three-day competition last week which was tagged ‘Kontagora Volleyball Challenge’.
“The last tournament was held at the Nigerian Army Cantonment, Kontagora, in Niger State from Oct. 27 to Oct 31. I am passionate about the growth of volleyball at the lowest level which is the grassroots,” said.
He noted that no sporting nation can excel without the continuous production of players at the grassroots level.
“All the elite players did not just become star players; they started from the grassroots that is the reason why my focus is to continue to organise local competitions, where new talents can be discovered.
“Everyone cannot play in the Nigeria Volleyball Premier League or National Division 1 League, “he said
He added that they started the grassroots competition at Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Kachia, in September 2018.
“We continued in 2019 and the grassroots challenge was organised in Zaria, Abuja, Jos and Bauchi, where serious competitions were organized and conducted.
“We have been able to produce players for the Nigerian National Teams and the Premier League within the three years since we began.
“All grassroots players look towards participating in the bigger leagues in Nigeria. So, they take our local challenges seriously as coaches and other technical persons,” he said
Gagariga commended the president of NVBF, Musa Nimrod, for creating an enabling environment for the game to thrive in the country.
” Nimrod has done his possible best for the game of volleyball to become popular in Nigeria and Africa.
” It is now left for other volleyball philanthropists and enthusiasts to complement what he has started. Together, we can all keep the game alive in Nigeria. (NAN)
