BENIN (SUNDIATA POST)- The Wife of the Edo Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, says the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament is beyond playing football to touch the lives of women in Edo and Nigeria.
Obaseki said this in Benin on Monday while briefing journalists in Benin on the 4th Edition of the soccer event, which kicked off on Monday in Benin with 14 teams.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that nine premiership female clubsides are participating in the event that will last for 10 days.
Mrs Obaseki, who is the chairman of the board of trustees of the tournament, said the “idea of the tournament is to empower women in Nigeria and support them to make a career out of football.”
According to her, the tournament will certainly continue after the end of Obaseki’s administration because the tournament is privately funded and sponsored with a board in place alongside a marketer.
“Four years ago we started with 12 teams and in the fourth edition we have 14 teams with two international teams.
“The prize money has also increased and doubled with the years from N5 million in the first outing to N10 million in this edition.
“After our first outing, FIFA recognised our efforts in promoting female football and empowering women and gave us an award,” she said.
Obaseki regretted that sports was dead in the state before the present administration came in eight years ago despite being the number one state in sports in Nigeria during the time of Samuel Ogbemudia.
“Gov Godwin Obaseki revived sports and ensured it brought back Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens to winning ways as the Benin Clubs are now national and West African champions.
“Since this tournament, Edo Queens are getting better as they became the champion last year and continue in that line winning the WAFU Cup to represent West Africa.
“This tournament has produced players that played for our female national teams and also for foreign football clubs as our efforts are yielding desirable results.
“The tournament is helping to grow and develop female football in Nigeria. while creating opportunities for our female children to make a career out of football,” she said.
She noted that the administration in Edo had used the tournament to tackle human trafficking as it created a platform and pathway for the girls and ensured they had a successful career in female football.
She said each year had its own theme for the tournament as well as a seminar.
“In the first edition, the theme was girl child education, second year was, say no to drugs.
“For the third year it was gender based violence while for this year it is ‘Say No to Teen Pregnancy and Abandonment’,” she said.
In his remark, a member of Benin Republic Football Association (FA) and Presidential Adviser to the country’s FA President, Didavi Queintin, commended the organisers of the tournament for its efforts over the years.
Queintin said that Edo Queens defeated a Benin Republic team in the final of the WAFU Cup last year to become champions.
“We are happy to be here and we are here to learn from the champion and congratulate the team for their great performance over the years,” he said. (NAN)
