90 Schools to Join Gymnastics Festival in Abuja

About 90 schools from the Federal Capital Territory will participate in the third edition of the North Central Catch Them Young Gymnastics Festival. The event will take place in Abuja on Saturday, September 26, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

This one-day event is organized by the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria. It will hold at the Package B Gymnasium of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

Prince Kelvin Erhunwunse, the president of the federation and vice president of the African Gymnastics Union, shared that around 900 children are expected to take part. Each school will present 10 pupils.

“Our model is simple: 90 schools to present 10 children, which is equal to 900 children and 90 new clubs in the FCT in one day,” Erhunwunse said.

He explained that the festival aims to find young talents early. It will provide them a structured way to grow and help bridge the talent gap in Nigerian gymnastics.

The federation has set a national goal of producing 30,000 young gymnasts and creating over 1,000 jobs for coaches by 2028.

“Our national target is to create 30,000 young gymnasts and over 1,000 jobs for coaches by the end of 2028,” he said.

The ‘Catch Them Young’ program is part of a nationwide talent search. Each edition targets one state from each geopolitical zone, rotating until all 36 states are included.

Earlier editions took place in Edo State, where 45 clubs and 450 children participated, and in the North-East region.

Erhunwunse also mentioned that outstanding children and schools will benefit from international scholarships and exchange programs. The federation has secured these opportunities with gymnastics groups in Turkey, Japan, China, and Azerbaijan.

These chances will expose young athletes to foreign training methods, coaching skills, and competitive experience.

The Abuja festival is themed “Building Bridges, Renewing Hope for the Future Generation.” It is organized with the Turkish Gymnastics Federation, the National Sports Commission, and the Nigeria Olympic Committee.

The federation stated that this program is part of its larger plan to build a lasting grassroots foundation for gymnastics in Nigeria.