By Yusuf Mohammed
JMD Sports Academy is an elite football academy founded in 2021 by Captain Jamil Mohammed Abubakar. It is located in Kano state, Nigeria with a fully integrated football program to help young African players reach their full potential by providing the training, tools and a pathway to realize their dreams of becoming professional football players.
The organizers addressing some of the players
Throughout modern times, young people have long used sports as a means to get out of a life of poverty. Be it Diego Armando Maradona making it out of the slums of Buenos Aires in Argentina or boxing legend, Joe Frazier making it out of the projects in North Philadelphia, sports have long proven to be a route out of poverty into a life of fame and fortune.
Speaking of sports, football is the most popular of all sports in the world. It is the most unifying sport of all. Apart from the beauty of the game, it has helped in lifting thousands of youths across the globe out of poverty. In other words, sport could be a poverty alleviation scheme. It also helps in curbing crime in the society, as an idle hand they say, is the devil’s playground. Speaking of crime, the highest perpetrators are youths.
JMD Sports Academy training players
Drug abuse is also prevalent amongst the youth in Nigeria. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Chairman, Buba Marwa, said recently that Kano State alone state has about two million drug addicts, representing 16 per cent prevalence.
“Kano State has close to two million drug users abusing tramadol, codeine and other cough syrups, rather than cannabis,” he said.
Enter Captain Jamil Mohammed Abubakar. He is a sports enthusiast who is putting his money where his mouth is. With JMD Sports Academy, he is on a mission to give hope to the hopeless and make the dreams of many young Nigerians come true through sports. He has started with football as it is the most followed sports in the country.
30 local football players have been selected to the elite academy.
Players at the soccer trials
The soccer trials started on Monday, 30th of August and ended on September 3 at the Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Stadium in Kano. Out of 1364 youths who participated, 30 of them, ages 16 to 20 were chosen to the next level. And the selection was based purely on merit.
The academy is providing a platform for young talented African football players irrespective of social or economic background.
The selected players will be enrolled into the academy and provided all necessary official documents signed with the approval of their parents or guardian to prepare him as a JMD Sports Academy player.
The Academy is affiliated with the top teams in the Turkish league, La Liga in Spain and a host of top clubs within Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
The Columnist Ng also learnt that most of the players are from less privileged homes and can’t afford to finance their dreams of becoming professional football players.
Therefore, the players, selected and admitted into the academy will receive professional training and full preparation before being sent abroad. All expenses will be paid by the academy.
The academy is footing the bills for accommodation, feeding and other expenses including passport, visa and tickets before they are taken to clubs abroad.
It is one thing to have the skills, it as another thing to have an enabling environment. JMD Sports Academy is giving the footballers the quality services in line with international best practice.
In this incredibly competitive industry, which demands dedication, consistency and sacrifice, this academy is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the players are in the best physical and mental condition.
From the best psychologists to top notch nutritionists, the players are getting everything they need for their athletic performance.
Apart from football skills, the academy is looking at the overall conduct of the players. The academy is also providing players with invaluable vocational skills and life education that would not only shape them into better football players but young men who would make positive contributions to their society.
The colorful event which lasted for four days saw many young talents on display. From Lagos to Kano, Nigerians from all ethnic backgrounds were present for the soccer trials that was free of charge.
At the entrance of the venue, everyone adhered strictly to COVID-19 protocols . The players and spectators were given hand sanitizers and everyone going into the venue wore nose masks.
Speaking after the end of this phase of the trials, Jamil said “Soccer trials have gone very well. I am proud of every player that came.
Big congratulations to the final 30. Your destiny is in your hands. Endeavor and thrive to be a leading example and character to those that will come after you and those watching you.”
While 30 footballers have been selected to the elite level, not all of them may be chosen to go to Europe.
However, those who don’t make it to Europe will leave the academy far better than they joined due to the skills, education and funding they will get in order to practice what they have learnt.
The brain behind this project, Captain Jamil is an indigene of Gusau, Zamfara state. He was born and bred in three different continents at various phases of his life. He went on to acquire an elementary education from Nigeria Military School in ‘1997, then a degree in Business Information Technology from Enfield College, London Class of ’04, a BSc degree in computing information systems, multimedia from Kingston University, London, Class of ’09, Epic Aviation, Smyrna, Florida Class of ’09 and Aero Star Training Services LLC.
His passion for humanitarian and philanthropic works led him to establish two organizations that mentors, alleviate, and caters to the less privileged. He is the President of JMD Foundation, a non-profit organization that was established in 2012, that has about 35 active members and has since done projects spanning community development, women empowerment, student alleviation, mentorship, feeding, and health.
