By Sampson Adedeji
Retired FIFA Referee Hon Olaniyi Babatunde David has underlined the importance of having grassroot football for the development of the game in the country.
Former member of the Oyo State house of assembly made it known during a virtual coaching lecture organised by State of Osun Grassroots Football Coaching Education ( SOGFCE).
In delivering his speech he explained how it was difficult to be a grassroot coaches and players in his younger days.
” Having the underage grassroot football competitions nowadays, this days they have a better chance unlike our days.
In our days, we don’t see people doing a lot of things for us, we contribute for virtually everything we needed.
But now a lots of youth development coaches and philanthropists are on ground, bring trophies, developing boys, and so many academies are coming up with the assistance of coaches.
I can say now that, if there is a development program like this, the sky is the beginning because a lots of teams and boys will be moving from one grade to another.
You will be able monitor their progress and it will be a good thing, that we are having a developmental program just like what Coach Oba is presently doing , that is , is bring his experience from somewhere to at least educate our people for them to know how to graduate and move the grassroot football to another level”, he concluded.After impacting the coaches the facilitator coach Bolarinwa Obalola ( Kobayashi) alongside Coach Leke thanked the retired referee for the way he handled the lecture.