By Rosemary Okoduwa
As part of efforts to promote school sports in Edo State, the Edo State Sports Commission, in collaboration with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), has organized a 2-day grassroots badminton outreach for secondary schools in Edo North Senatorial District.
The training, which took place from February 27 to 28, 2025, at St. Angela’s Girls Grammar School, Uzairue, Auchi, targeted 20 government secondary schools in Etsako land. At least 20 teachers and 84 students benefited from the program.
Three qualified “Shuttle Time” trainers, Godswill Afejika, Olalekan Fajimiyo, and Blessing Osayomwanbo, conducted the training. The sessions covered shaped grip and thumb grip techniques, court work with balloons, and service and smashing drills.
According to the organizers, the grassroots badminton training aims to provide teachers and students with the opportunity to learn the basics of the sport together. The training involved both theoretical and practical aspects of the game.
On the second day, the trainers held separate sessions with games masters/mistresses and students. The games masters/mistresses were taught the technical aspects of badminton, including officiating, rules, and safeguarding. The students had practical sessions on basic badminton grips, strokes, footwork, and rules.
The training event was sponsored by the Edo State Sports Commission, with technical support from the BFN, and powered by the Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative.
The participating schools included:
Fugar Mixed Secondary School, Fugar, St. John’s Boys Model, Fugar, Ogbona Secondary School, Fugar, Ekperi Grammar School, Ibie, Ibienape Secondary School, Ibie, Afowa Secondary School, Jattu, St. Angela Grammar School, Uzarue, Our Lady of Fatima Secondary School, Jattu, Ayua Secondary School, Jattu, Akpekpe Secondary School, Auchi, Ugheole Secondary School, Auchi, St. Peters Grammar School, Auchi, Jattu Grammar School, Jattu, Ikelebe Secondary School, Afashio, Mixed Secondary School, Jattu,. Army Day Secondary School, Auchi, Iyamho Secondary School, Iyamho, Ekhei Girls Secondary School, Auchi, Comprehensive High School, Igarra, Ikpeshi Grammar School, Ikpeshi.