The Bayelsa State Government, in partnership with the Bayelsa State Netball Association, has successfully concluded the first Governor Douye Diri Netball Seminar in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area.
The two-day basic netball seminar, financially supported by the state government and packaged by the Community Sports and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative, was held at the sports gym of the Federal University Otuoke. It brought together 26 secondary school Physical Education teachers, equipping them with both theoretical and practical coaching skills.
Netball, historically designed as a sport for girls and women, is increasingly attracting boys and male players worldwide in a bid to make the game gender-inclusive.
According to the organisers, the seminar aims to build the capacity of P.E. teachers and strengthen grassroots sports development, particularly for the girl-child, enabling them to combine sporting and academic growth.
Last year, 21 female secondary school students in Bayelsa completed the “Sporting Coders” programme, which combined netball training with coding skills—an initiative that underscores the state’s commitment to youth development.
Certified Netball Africa coaches Edema Fuludu and Onome Edema, supported by coaches Catherine Sasuode, Ruth Opuene, and Opusam Ekinisam Ete, led the sessions. Training covered student safeguarding in sports, court marking, warm-up and cool-down exercises, the seven playing positions and their responsibilities, culminating in a practice match among the new coaches.
Fuludu urged the coaches to replicate their newly acquired skills in their schools and announced that an inspection team from the Bayelsa State Netball Association would visit beneficiary schools later in the year to monitor progress. Before the end of the school year, the state plans to host competitions to assess the students’ and coaches’ performance.
Expressing their gratitude, the new coaches applauded the Bayelsa State Government, the Netball Association, and the Ministry of Education for offering the training free of charge.
Coordinator of the Bayelsa Netball Association, Catherine Sasuode, commended Governor Douye Diri for the financial support that made the seminar possible and appealed for continued government backing to expand grassroots coaching capacity and further develop netball across the state.
