Africa-Press – Cape verde. The director of the Institute of Sport and Youth (IDJ), Anildo Santos, argued today that the future of Cape Verdean basketball depends on the professionalization and scientific qualification of coaches.
Anildo Santos made these statements to Inforpress during the closing ceremony of the training that had been taking place in Praia since Thursday, the 19th, aimed at coaches from various islands of the country.
The initiative is part of a strategic protocol between the IDJ and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), which aims to raise the technical level of national sport and create new opportunities for athletes and coaches.
According to him, many coaches still work empirically, based only on their experience as former athletes or active practitioners, without access to adequate scientific and methodological tools.
“Today, being a coach requires much more than practical knowledge. It requires fundamentals in nutrition, physiology, anatomy, and pedagogy. We are taking a qualitative leap in the way you are trained in sport in Cape Verde,” he said. For Anildo Santos, more than just fulfilling an activity plan, the action represents a strategy for the structural transformation of sport.
“It’s not enough to have talent. Cape Verde is a country with great potential, but it’s necessary to systematize the work, structure the training, and better prepare those at the base of the training,” he emphasized.
Alongside the training, he said, a talent scouting program was held to identify athletes who could benefit from academic and sporting opportunities in Portugal, combining higher education with competition in youth categories.
The IDJ administrator also challenged the participants, asking them to assume the role of “transformative agents” in their communities.
“This training is not the end. It is the beginning of a path that demands constant updating and commitment. The future of sport depends on the ability of each coach to train not only athletes, but citizens,” he concluded.
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