PADDYSCO Academy Annual Sports Fiesta & Awards Ends In Grand Style

The 9th edition of the annual ‘PADDYSCO Sports Academy Fiesta & Awards came to a successful end Sunday, October, 26, 2025 in Lagos

Held at the City Pride School, Golden Estate by Raji Rasaki, Amuwo- Odofin, Lagos, the event started with a ‘Thanksgiving Service’ at Catholic Church of Visitation, 1st Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos.

Speaking at the well attended event which attracted parents, friends and well wishers of the academy, Founder/Chief Executive Officer of the academy, Mr. Peter Azunnaya Okereke, expressed happiness that the academy which was founded nine years ago with 5 children has now grown to a population of over 300 with some of their products plying their trade in such countries as Finland, Sweden, Malta, Thailand and Hong Kong which he attributed to the quality football skills they impact on their players.

According to him, the academy with three cardinal points of identifying, nurturing and promoting talents is unique because it’s made up of children between the ages of 3- 16 just as he stated that the fiesta is all about the children coming to showcase what they’ve learnt to their parents.

” At PADDYSCO Academy, we identify, nurture and promote talents. Some of our kids are as young as three years and the good thing is that some of them will learn how to play either football or basketball while others will attain fitness.

” So, even if a child is not going to play football or take to dancing as a career, at least they can attain fitness while growing up as well as know the importance of exercises and essence of sports.

” And those whom we identify that can make a career in football, dancing, basketball and swimming, we develop them into what they’re supposed to be and also develop their career”, he stressed.

The founder while heaping praises on the parents for believing in what the academy is doing that has kept it going for the past nine years, stated that apart from developing the children, they also employ coaches whom they give sense of belonging in the society.

“It will interest you to know that apart from developing children, we also employ coaches and as at today, we have more than 21 coaches in our payroll.
” You know that there are coaches who are just doing the job out of passion, but the job doesn’t end in passion or love for the game because they have to feed themselves and their families and that’s why we employ and pay them on monthly basis. And I’m proud to tell you that we don’t owe them.

On what the 10th edition of the programme will look like, he revealed that the academy is already making plans to have the event at the Navy Stadium which is a bigger facility and where they have also established a branch.

” By the time we’re going to celebrate the 10th anniversary, it will be at Navy Stadium which is a bigger facility where we recently opened a branch.

“During that time, we also intend to invite some of the products that have passed through the academy to tell people that these are people whom we have produced and they will also serve as role models for the kids. At that time, you are also going to see more displays than what we are witnessing in the 9th edition”, he assured.

Okereke revealed that by the time the academy clocks 15 years, he will like to see PADDYSCO having it’s own facilities and a proper channel through which players can move abroad to play football

” When you look at what Morocco is doing today, you’ll discover that they have a road map for sports development. They acquired 30 hectars of land and developed a sports centre and today, the records are there for all to see.

” They have won the U-17 AFCON and recently U-20 Works Cup and almost won the World Cup the last time. Their women also played in the 2022 and 2025 finals of the African Women Women Nations Cup which shows they have a plan put in place for sports development.

” At PADDYSCO, we have a plan and we’ re taking it one step at a time. So, by the time the academy clocks 15, we hope to say, this is our own facility where we’ll be training and that this is our own camp where we’ll have our own players because you know that in Nigeria, facility is a very big problem.

” You are also aware that in Nigeria, a child can play so well but the proper channel might not be there for him to move abroad, so, we hope to establish that channel for our players
Some of the parents who spoke on the award; Messrs, Kenechukwu Obodoechina, Ubanatu Timothy and Pharm. Emeka Nwachukwu as well as Mrs. Adaji Janeth Ruth and Lolo Ikechukwu Cynthia commended Paddysco for the transformation it is giving the children noting that they’re happy and satisfied with the skills being exhibited by their wards.

” As parents, we are happy with the improvement we’ re seeing on our children. Paddysco Academy has been able to bring out some hidden potentials in our children like their football, basketball, swimming and dancing skills. The academy has also built their endurance energy which makes them play more than they do before.

“Kudos must also go to the academy for the way they take care of the kids. They come every Saturday morning to.pick them and bring them back safely after their training session thereby creating a good bound between them and the children.

They advised parents living within Festac Town, Amuwo- Odofin, Satellite Town , Mile 2 and environs to patronize Paddysco Academy, reminding parents that these days education has gone beyond classroom work and that children should be allowed to take part in sports, text their skills, make friends and see the other side of life.

Two of the children in the academy; John Azubuogu who plays football and Kemberlin Nwachukwu, a basketball player, said that they’ve learnt a lot since joining the academy even as they expressed hope they will be better players in future

The Sports fiesta/award featured various dancing performances by the kids and football and basketball displays by the various age categories to the delight of the parents and invited guests

Awards were also given to the Most Valuable players, Best Behaved player and best in passion in football, basketball, swimming and dancing

Some of the categories where awards were given are; Team Hyenas, Team Incredibles, Team Marvelous, Team Neophytes, Team Exclusives, Team Royals, Team Elastic Queens and Team Dunkers amongst others