Media Practitioners Urged to Promote Amputee Football for Inclusive Sports Development

Media Practitioners Urged to Promote Amputee Football for Inclusive Sports Development

Media practitioners and sports administrators have been urged to deliberately promote amputee football and other sports for persons with physical challenges through responsible, consistent, and inclusive coverage, in order to build a sports culture that reflects diversity, equity, and opportunity.

The call was made at the 2026 Kwara State Amputee Football Bootcamp, where the Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Kwara State Chapter, Mr. Ayodeji Ismail, spoke on the role of the media in advancing sports inclusivity.

Mr. Ismail noted that the media plays a critical role in sports development through effective coverage, impactful storytelling, and the amplification of athletes, teams, and key stakeholders.

He lamented that despite the inspirational value and competitive nature of amputee football, the sport remains largely underreported and under-promoted, thereby limiting its exposure, public awareness, and sponsorship opportunities.

The Kwara SWAN Chairman explained that although the media has gradually shifted from a purely social responsibility model to a more commercial and business-oriented approach due to the high cost of production, practitioners still have a duty to intentionally promote amputee football to help the sport gain national and international recognition.

He commended the efforts of Dr. Sarafadeen Olamikan and members of the Kwara State Amputee Football Association for exposing players to the technical aspects of the game and organising seminars aimed at deepening their knowledge. He further called for sustained support from relevant stakeholders to ensure continuous awareness and growth of the sport.

The bootcamp, themed “Building Capacity for Sustainable and Inclusive Amputee Football,” was held last Friday at the Kwara Football Association (KFA) Conference Room in Ilorin.