The National Coach of the Cerebral Palsy Football Association of Nigeria (CPFAN), Gbenga Dosumu, has called on the federal government and other stakeholders in the country to churn out support for the association.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture. It is caused by abnormal brain development, which often occurs before birth.
CP football is a unique football with augmented rules to fit the players.
Each CP team consists of seven-aside players on the field at a time, with each half running for only 30 minutes.
In a CP game, there are no offside rules and throw-ins may be made with only one hand.
Although Nigeria has a CP national team, its players have been left idle with little sponsorship for the game and the association backing the team.
According to Dosumu, the body has been consistently faced with paucity of activities, which is largely due to lack of resources and proper support.
This has led to a severe decline in the playing ability of the players, making the team unfit to represent the nation in any international event.
“It is devastating that a sport that accommodates persons living with Cerebral Palsy (CP) is being neglected to the extent that we cannot execute activities because of lack of sponsorship.
“For CP to develop in Nigeria and bring to be at par with its counterparts outside, we need individuals, non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies and governments to identify with us. “We have remained consistent in our training and it is to ensure that athletes are still in shape as regular activities help them to be lively and social.”
— Gbenga Dosumu
Dosumu has beckoned on all football enthusiasts in the country and in the diaspora to lend a helping hand to the association in order to support its athletes who, despite their conditions, are eager to build a career in football.
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