By Modupe Gbadeyanka
One of the top lenders in Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc, has concluded plans to sponsor 40 outstanding young talents discovered at its football tournaments as well as 60 school coaches on an all-expense paid intensive player development and coach-training programme tagged ‘Camp GTBank.’
Camp GTBank is a football and educational development initiative is designed to train and develop outstanding football talents discovered at the GTBank football tournaments which include the GTBank-Lagos State Principals Cup, GTBank-Ogun State Principals Cup and the GTBank Masters Cup.
Since its inception in 2011, Camp GTBank has helped kick start the careers of more than 120 footballers, some of whom have been selected to represent the country in international tournaments at various levels, and are currently playing in both domestic and foreign league clubs.
The programme is slated to hold in Lagos from August 21 to 28, 2017 and this year’s edition will help prepare the outstanding talents for successful football careers whilst building the capacity of the coaches to improve the quality and potential of grassroots football.
The 8-day residential camp will feature renowned coaches such as Augustine Eguavoen, the former coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles; Jolomi Atune, coach of the Nigeria’s U-15 Future Eagles; and Ajuma Ottache, the only female coach of a professional male football team in Nigeria, amongst others.
The coaches will take the players through all the aspects of the game, expose them to modern rules and regulations and improve their physical and metal conditioning to position them for a professional career.
The coaches will also offer expert coaching lessons to the school coaches and sport instructors over a two day period to develop and enhance their knowledge and technical competence.
Commenting on the Camp GTBank, the Managing Director/CEO of GTBank, Mr Segun Agbaje, said “Given the amazing talents shortlisted for this programme and the quality of the coaches overseeing their development, I am confident that Camp GTBank will be a seedbed for the emergence of professional footballers who will go on to have very successful careers. This goes to the heart of our sports education initiatives, which are aimed at actively engaging the youths through sports whilst identifying, nurturing and grooming young football talents.”
He further stated that, “At GTBank, we will continue to invest massively in youth development through education and sports in order to help more youths actualize their dreams and to also grow their personal confidence and make them become better team players.”
GTBank Plc is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy since its inception in 1990. The Bank actively supports Education programmes in-classroom, Out-of-Classroom, infrastructure development, students’ scholarship and teachers training across Africa.
Dipo Olowookere