Antonio Alejandro León Ternyik’s Post

Nigeria@parisolympics2024 Lessons learned! Here's my take: 1. no shortcut to success 2. researches have shown it takes no less than 13yrs to nurture a talent to winning medals at the Olympics or World Athletics Championship etc. Solution snippets: A. Planning: have a clear cut talents identification & development plan with focus on our strengths (track& field, combat: wrestling, taekwando, boxing; basketball & football) and build from there B1. Infrastructure: the best sports facility should be in our secondary to tertiary schools, where the youths are, for sustainability B2. Establish an athletes development center one in each of the 6 geo-pol zones (in tertiary schools) where identified talents from school sports converge for nurture C. Strategy: Identify talents development partners/sponsors for their overall welfare & institutionalize it as policy D. Admonish the States to adopt the model which will resuscitate & sustain inter-house/schools sports which are the bedrock - grassroots sports development. it is unacceptable that a country of over 200million people with over 70 million youth population not to win a medal at the Olympics

IOC Young Leaders Sprint Week 2 Challenge: Inspiring Stories Through Sports 🌟 As part of my Week 2 task in the IOC Young Leaders Learning Sprint, I’m diving into the story of a young changemaker who tackled a social challenge through sports. Meet @Jehanara Nabi, an 18-year-old swimmer from Pakistan, redefining what it means to break barriers—literally and metaphorically. Jehanara isn’t just a national record-holder in swimming; she’s inspiring a whole generation of athletes, especially young girls, to dream big in a country where female representation in sports is still growing. Jehanara’s success story goes hand-in-hand with vital partnerships. Collaborations with national sports bodies, like the Pakistan Swimming Federation, gave her access to training facilities and platforms to compete internationally. These partnerships provided not just resources but also the confidence to step onto global stages like the Islamic Solidarity Games and Commonwealth Games. Her journey is proof that with the right support and sheer determination, sports can address social issues like gender inequality by creating opportunities and fostering representation. Who’s your favorite young leader using sports for change? #LearningSprintIOCYL #SportsForChange #IOCYoungLeaders @IOCYoungLeaders #SocialImpactThroughSports

🌟 Reflections from the IOC Young Leaders Learning Sprint offered by the International Olympic Committee – IOC: Triple Bottom Line in Action with Basketball for Good! 🌍🏀 As the final week of the IOC Young Leaders learning sprint concludes, I want to share one key learning from exploring and testing tools for social and sport-based projects. The Triple Bottom Line (3P Sustainability)—People, Planet, and Profit—has emerged as a game-changing framework for creating lasting impact. The FIBA Foundation Basketball for Good program by FIBA is a powerful example of this model in action: 1️⃣ People: Empowering communities through basketball, with initiatives like "Hoops for Health" that provide education and promote inclusion for underserved youth. 2️⃣ Planet: Incorporating sustainable practices, such as eco-friendly court construction and environmental education during community events. 3️⃣ Profit: Leveraging partnerships and community-based revenue streams, ensuring financial sustainability, and reinvesting proceeds to expand programs. 💡 Key takeaway: A holistic approach that balances these three pillars is essential to driving meaningful change through sport. It’s not just about playing the game but using it as a tool to tackle global challenges, sustainably and inclusively. #IOCYoungLeaders #TripleBottomLine #LearningSprintIOCYL #BasketballForGood #FIBAFoundation

THE REFEREE IS NOT THE ENEMY: A Call for Understanding in Grassroots Sports As a volunteer U-20 coach at Future Stars Soccer Academy in Ibafo, Ogun State, Nigeria, I’ve spent over four years dedicated to nurturing young talent. My commitment stems from a desire to help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 8 while witnessing the incredible potential in the youth of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area. Recently, during a hard-fought match where we triumphed 5 - 4, I found myself in a challenging situation: I received a yellow card for encroaching on the field while giving tactical instructions. This occurred in the 29th minute, as we were striving to close a two-goal deficit. The pitch, unfortunately, was unmarked, leading to an unintentional breach of conduct. I will be sharing video evidence to clarify this. This incident sheds light on the broader challenges faced by grassroots sports in Ogun State. Many coaches and academies, like ours, often have to improvise with limited resources to develop world-class talent, such as Oladele Ajiboye and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro of Bologna. Most Importantly, we must address the rising violence against referees in our sport. Referees are essential to the game, ensuring fairness and integrity. Instead of viewing them as adversaries, we should foster a culture of respect and understanding. This experience, albeit frustrating, serves as a reminder of the need for dialogue about sportsmanship and the conditions under which we operate. Let’s advocate for better facilities, training, and communication within our sports community. Together, we can elevate our game and support the officials who dedicate their time to maintaining the spirit of competition. Let’s champion respect for all participants in sports, especially our referees, who play a crucial role in shaping the future of the game. Let’s keep the conversation going: “What strategies do you think we can implement to foster greater respect for referees in grassroots sports?” #GrassrootsSports #YouthDevelopment #Sportsmanship #Coaching #Soccer #RefereeRespect #Teamwork #SustainableDevelopment #Leadership #NigeriaSports

I'm excited to announce that I participated and completed the 4 weeks learning sprint offered by the International Olympic Committee – IOC under their Young Leaders initiative. This programme seeks to educate its students on the unique and imperative role Sports plays as an enabler in attaining #SustainbleDevelopment. This is Great opportunity specially for Africa were #Youths account for around 40% of the population yet facing a number of challenges among them High Umemployment. I believe, one of the biggest hurdle Sports faces in Africa is the narrative that it is a field specifically preserved for those who don't fair well academically. On the Contrary, its hidden potential to drive and encourage development on all fronts (Literacy/Academics Included) has not been comprehended by many(especially Africans). One remedy for this is offering more Sports/Academic Scholarships. The learning Sprint emphasized the creation of programmes with a #SocialBusiness approach that seeks to solve social problems as well as be #FinanciallySustainable(Self Sustaining)in pursuit of achieving #SustainableDevelopment through sports. The skills learnt have opened my mind up to how multi-faced achieving #SustainableDevelopment can be. On to the next challenge.....🧗♂️ #Olympism365 #Sport4Development #SustainableDevelopment #Agenda2030 #AfricanDevelopment. #ExcellenceRespectFriendship.

Sports pratice in younger ages requires special attention 🤼 Build appropriate, balanced and fun competitive contexts, based in core values, it's essential to the players development. A team project with the coordenation of PNED - Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude, IP bring to reality bold models (like the AFCB Pedagogical Cups), without classifications, to transform the interpretation of competition in youth sport. Allways embracing new challenges... AF Castelo Branco ⚪🔴⚫

I'd like to share a bit about my journey, and I hope it resonates with many of you. The highest level of rugby league I played was in Australia(ISC now Optus Cup), where I had the incredible opportunity to represent Papua New Guinea for four amazing years. Those years were filled with hard work, commitment, and unforgettable memories. In addition to rugby, I've also pursued boxing at the national level. Competing as a super heavyweight, I finished second and brought home a silver medal. These sporting achievements were significant milestones in my life, but they also led me to some important realizations. While sports can be thrilling, I've come to understand—as many of you might agree—that in Papua New Guinea, pursuing a career in sports often feels like a gamble. The reality is, we need to prioritize education. It should always come first. I consider myself fortunate to have completed my studies and secured a decent education before fully diving into sports. Looking back, I have no regrets. I ticked off everything on my bucket list; I lived the dream of playing rugby in Australia, something every kid in PNG aspires to do. However, I can't help but feel a sense of sadness for many of my teammates from that era. They believed there's life after rugby, and they often sidelined their education to focus solely on the sport. Now, too many of them find themselves back on the streets or returning to their villages, struggling with what comes next. So here’s my advice to all the parents: Don’t restrict your kids from playing sports. Encourage them to play and enjoy the game! But make sure they understand the importance of prioritizing their education. It’s essential to strike that balance. Let them have fun, but ensure they know that education lays the foundation for their future. This is why I firmly believe that our government should invest more in education than in sports. The truth is, there’s not much of a future in sports for most of our athletes. The odds are simply against us. We need to equip our youth with the tools they need to thrive outside the sporting arena. Let’s encourage our young people to pursue both their passions and their studies. Sports can be a part of our lives, yes—but education should always be the foundation. #lifeafterrugby #education #sports #rugby #career

The annual observance of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) on April 6th, 2024, provides an occasion to acknowledge the beneficial role that sport and physical activity play in communities and individuals worldwide. The global theme for 2024 is centred on "Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies." Here are four ways to participate in celebrating IDSDP: ·       Encourage community empowerment: Supporting communities to showcase their talents through sport supports cohesion and stability. ·       Utilise sport as a platform for learning: Just like play, sports offer valuable opportunities for children to learn teamwork and empathy alongside physical skills. ·       Promote understanding and tolerance: Engaging in local and international sporting competitions broadens perspectives, fostering cultural understanding and tolerance. ·       Stimulate economic growth: Developing nations often experience positive economic impacts when actively participating in sports, contributing to overall growth and development. "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision." -Muhammad Ali (World Heavyweight Champion Boxer) #InternationalDayOfSportForDevelopmentAndPeace #IDSDP #SportForPeace #SportForDevelopment #GlobalUnity #CommunityEmpowerment #PeaceThroughSport #InclusiveSocieties #SportsDiplomacy #BuildingConnections #GlobalSolidarity #EconomicGrowth #CulturalUnderstanding #ToleranceThroughSport #eds #EconomicDevelopmentSolutions #EconomicDevelopment #SouthAfrica

#FIFAMasterAlumni - Where are they now? Ratu Tisha Destria #Indonesia 🇮🇩 – 14th Edition – Vice President of PSSI (Football Association of Indonesia) 👉 https://lnkd.in/ekdNjtrV “PSSI members consist of 1,105 clubs and 38 provincial associations. Our football ecosystem is very unusual in that it operates in an archipelago, with over 17,000 islands and where the distance from west to east is 5,245 km. It makes the management of competitions and football development quite challenging. Indeed, it needs to find its own unique system and always be ready for innovation.” 🥇 The FIFA Master - International MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport was recently ranked as the #1 Postgraduate Sport Management course in Europe for a record eleventh time in the influential 2023 SportBusiness Postgradute rankings. With over 90% of our 600+ FIFA Master graduates, and who represent 120+ nationalities - now working in the sports industry, the impact of the FIFA Master reaches across all continents and nations. Organised by CIES in partnership with De Montfort University #UK, SDA Bocconi #Italy and the Université de Neuchâtel #Switzerland the course is a leading Postgraduate programme developing all-round managers who can cope with the increasingly complex world of sport. CIES - Centre International d'Etude du Sport, FIFA Master Alumni Association, International Centre for Sports History and Culture #CIESEducation #dmu #sdabocconi #unine #sports #sportmanagement #sportlaw #sporthumanities #ethics #diversity #leadership #sportbusiness #genderequality