Nigerian volleyball legends from Europe and the Americas will on Aug. 4 at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan begin an under-12 volleyball programme tagged “Operation Catch-Them-Young’’.
The legends, who go by the name South West Volleyball Legends, are led by Wasiu Ojuolape, Lola Aina and four others.
They are expected to storm Ibadan to give back to the society which discovered them.
Other members of the group are Shakirat Afolabi-Badmos, Edosa Aye, Anthonia Akpama-Oloyede and Tunde Omisore, with long-standing sports journalist Kehinde Lamidi as their anchor man.
Aina, the group’s spokesperson and a former captain of the national women’s team, said on Wednesday that their aim was to catch young talents and prepare them for the future, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
She added that the group would be donating Mikassa-branded balls to the Oyo State Volleyball Association, as well as the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), during the programme.
“Men and women who have contributed meaningfully to the growth of volleyball in the country in the past will be honoured during the programme,’’ Aina said.
She listed those to honoured to include Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and NVBF former president, as well as Tunde Morakinyo, Osaretin Emuze and Tony Oghuma.