ALLOW CHILDREN PARTAKE IN SPORTS - ADERIBIGBE IDIAT URGES PARENTS

By Oluseyi Adedire

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Nigeria Table Tennis National Team Coach, Alhaja Aderibigbe Idiat Adekemi has advised parents to encourage their children to participate in sports at a tender age.

Alhaja Aderibigbe, a fomer national table tennis champion in a chat with OyoSportsNews, stressed that allowing children to participate in sports will help them adapt fast and express their hidden talents, be healthy, intelligent, and ensure formidable careers in sports.

Speaking further, she argued that sports is the only way children can adapt fast and express their hidden talents with other children globally.

"For example, Team Oyo paraded athletes below U15 at the ongoing National Youth Games. It was possible because their parents encouraged and supported their interests in sports. It is very impossible for any coach to hijack or force a kid to train or stadium. It can only be possible with the knowledge and approval of parents and as you can see them here today, it was a great experience and exposure for them."

"They may not have met our expectations in terms of reaching the final or winning medals but remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. Ex internationals and active sports men and women started from tender age. Sports development is a gradual process and we must key into this; some parents see sports as optional or unnecessary but I can bodly say sports is beyond that. In table tennis, we have children below eleven years old, so therefore, parents must encourage, support, advise, motivate and push them to achieve thier dreams."

She also urged young athletes to be focused, determined and attend competitions at state, zonal and national levels so as to build thier confidence among thier mates.