Niamey, Niger, May 11, 2013 – The Niger Volleyball
Federation officially launched their national volleyball development programme on
April 10, 2013, in cooperation with the FIVB, the Niger Ministry of Youth,
Sports and Culture, and the Niger Olympic and National Sports Committee.
The National Federation is moving to a new direction
by initiating the programme and concentrating on the young and promoting the development of volleyball to
students, ages 10-12 years old. The programme will train students from 80 schools
which aims to perk up their interest to train volleyball at a young age.
Niger has a strong history in sports youth formation that
was initiated by a group of physical education teachers in the mid-80s. It was
then followed by a younger generation of leaders that built training centres in
secondary schools throughout the country. These initiatives endowed Niger with vital
youth training and allowed Niger Volleyball to prosper in sub-regional club
competitions.
Now, the new development programme aided the National Federation with new equipment, including 1,000 balls, 650 T-shirts, 300 nets,
150 manuals and other Cool Volley kits.
As the new development programme is on its test run, Badr
Issouf, president of Niger Volleyball Federation, recounts the circumstances
that contributed to the conduct of such program as well as the future direction of their development.
“Another program will be granted by the FIVB but that will
depend on the success of this year’s program,” said Issouf on stressing the
importance of implementing the programme properly.