Fame foundation has intensified the push to raise awareness among the teeming population of youths on the benefits associated with breakdancing which will feature as a sporting event at the 2024 Paris Olympic.
Already, the foundation in conjunction with the French Embassy, is on the verge of concluding the national breakdance competition aimed at producing two overall winners that would participate at the international Breakdance Competition in France.
The France Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann who spoke during the qualifiers of the national competition in Abuja at the weekend explained that the initiative was aimed at empowering the youths in the country.
“The idea is to work towards social inclusion through sports. And as you may know for the first time in history breakdance is going to be an Olympic event next year,” she noted.
“So it’s a great idea to promote breakdance here where we know there is so much talents and sports is part of the culture of Nigerians. So we thought it would be a good idea to support this project. Through sport and dance there are so many values that we can promote.”
Fame foundation Executive Director, Ms Aderonke Bello who spoke in the same vein disclosed that the grand finale of the nationwide event with no fewer than 1000 youths participants would hold in Lagos in November this year.
According to her: “Today here for the Abuja qualifier of the national breakdance competition. We have been to Kano, Kaduna, Portharcourt. This is the fourth stage which is the FCT. In two weeks time we will be in Lagos for the final qualifier. And there would be the overall final in November where we would pick two winners that would represent Nigeria at an international dance championship in Paris.
“So what we are doing here today is a qualifier and the idea is this breakdance is a new sports in the Olympics for the first time ever next year Paris 2024 breakdance is going to feature as a sport and that is why we are here to create the awareness about the existence of breakdance as a sport and secondly use sports to empower women and youths.
“We are using breakdance to empower the youths. We have been campaigning against drugs, we say no to rape and several social vices. So breakdance is here to empower the youths. As they are breakdancing they are sending messages to other youths against thuggery, rape and other vices.”
