Guardian

AS part of its nationwide grassroots sports development campaign, National Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM) will on June 6 gets the Presidency backing for its noble initiative, when President Goodluck Jonathan launches Rhythm N’ Play in Abuja.

According to NASCOM Chairman, Yemi Idowu, Rhythm ‘N’ Play is an exciting youth-friendly campaign aimed at enhancing mass youth participation in sporting activities and age-grade competitions.

“There was the need to reposition sports in order to facilitate the mass participation and early discovery of young sporting talents at the grassroots. At the Presidential Retreat held last year, NASCOM was identified as a key component of government’s efforts at developing sports at the grassroots and Rhythm ‘N’ Play is a brand created by NASCOM and will serve as its flagship campaign to drive and revolutionise grassroots sports in Nigeria,” he said.

He added, “Rhythm ‘N’ Play will rely heavily on the use of music, celebrities, volunteers, new media and other elements of pop culture to amplify and realise its objectives. Mr. President will launch the campaign on June 6, first in Abuja, and later on June 14, in London, United Kingdom (UK) targeting the Nigerian youths in Diaspora.

“The launch in the UK is to create a model for Nigerians in other countries of the world to follow. We also have NASCOM members in Diaspora that are also expected to coordinate activities over there. Mind you, government does not need to spend any money. It is expected to be driven by the people themselves with the children being the main targets,” he said.

Idowu, who is passionate about the project said that Rhythm ‘N’ Play would exist as a platform for implementation partners and stakeholders to deliver a wide range of strategic interventions and sporting activities, which work towards achieving NASCOM’s key goals.

“Children of school age are the primary participants of Rhythm ‘N’ Play and this includes kids within and outside the formal education system. The campaign is intended to reach children between the ages of 12 – 17 years and encourage active participation in regular sporting activity.

Rhythm ‘N’ Play will be supported by the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Federal Ministry of Education but driven by the NASCOM.”

He further explained that Rhythm N’ Play would work with the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF), Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), NSC zonal co-ordinators, state governments (Ministries of Youth & Sports and Ministries of Education) school principals and proprietors, Parents-Teachers Associations (PTAs) to establish the values of the campaign in secondary schools across Nigeria.

For him, the campaign would be integrated into junior and secondary school sporting activities nationwide with Rhythm ‘N’ Play Clubs set up in schools nationwide.

Five sports – football, athletics, ball games, calisthenics, martial arts and racquet sports are the sports that Rhythm ‘N’ Play will use, while the best sporting talents discovered through the platform of programme will converge, fraternise and participate at the National Youth U-17 Games.