Uchechukwu Nnaike
Greensprings School has awarded scholarships to three promising players who participated in the just-concluded Greensprings Kanu Football Camp (GKFC).
The students are Adesokan Omotolani, from Abesan Senior High School, Ipaja, Lagos; Popoola Olajide Emmanuel, from Segun Odegbami International College of Sports Academy, Abeokuta, Ogun State; and Joy Ibegbu, from Excel College, Ejigbo, Lagos.
They outperformed over 200 other students at the 10th edition of the annual football camp, organised by Greensprings School in collaboration with the Kanu Heart Foundation, for boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 17.
Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony, the school’s Executive Director, Mrs. Lai Koiki, said the 10th edition of the programme marks a significant milestone in promoting athleticism and sportsmanship.
She said for the decade, the school, in collaboration with Kanu Nwankwo, retired Super Eagle of Nigeria football star, has witnessed remarkable improvement on the field, inspiring performances and unforgettable moments of triumph.
“Beyond the scores and victory, the football camp has served as a platform for fostering teamwork, discipline and character building among Nigerian youths,” she said.
She added that the football camp primarily provides young Nigerians with meaningful engagement beyond academics, allowing them to acquire valuable skills for their personal and professional development.
Koiki said the camp aligns with Greensprings’ outreach efforts aimed at shaping the character of young Nigerians by instilling values such as discipline, teamwork and resilience.
She added that the aim is to prepare students to become well-rounded adults capable of navigating the challenges of an ever-changing world.
The Head of Admissions, OluRanti Bankole, said the school was happy to award a scholarship to the first girl since the commencement of the football academy.
“We are all expecting great things from her, and we are all going to support her. This will be the beginning of many more girls playing in professional football and coming through Kanu/Greensprings football camp,” she said.
She added that the school’s operations go beyond academics or sports to develop the whole child by instilling the values to help them succeed.
“Our job is to groom children by giving them the tools they would need to be successful wherever they find themselves. Even when football is over, the lessons and things they learnt at the school will help them become successful, knowing that whenever they tell their stories, Greensprings School would be a part of it,” Bankole said.
The chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, Gafar Liameed, commended the school for organizing the football camp and awarding scholarships to three students.
In his reaction after emerging as the overall best player male in the camp and a scholarship recipient, Omotolani expressed joy and thanked the school for the initiative.
He advised present and future campers to focus on their goals and pursue their dreams to become successful.
For his part, Emmanuel appreciated the management of Greensprings School for giving him the opportunity to pursue his education and football career at the school and promised to make judicious use of the opportunity.
Popoola said he participated in the 2023 edition of the camp but was not selected for the scholarship, but when he came this year, he was determined and had to put in extra effort which paid off.
Apart from the three scholarships, several awards were presented to the 11 best students based on their performance at the camp.
Since the camp’s inception, Greensprings School has awarded 13 scholarships and trained over 2,200 children and 220 coaches.
