Moje Queens, Pro-Games win First Lady 6-a-side female tourney

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Kwara First Lady, Ambassador (Dr) Mrs Olufolake Ajike AbdulRazaq has pledged to work closely with the Kwara State Football Association Female Football Development Committee, to fashion out and also broaden the existing numerous intervention and empowerment opportunities for the girl-child in the state.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the maiden edition of First Lady 6-a-side football tournament on Wednesday at the Kwara Football Academy, she was overwhelmed with the enthusiasm shown by our girls in sports, and in football in particular, and pledged to undertake serious interventions in sports, as she is doing in health, education, entrepreneurship, social and marital sectors of citizens in the state.

Her Excellency, who was represented at the occasion by the Permanemt Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Barrister Iyabo Banire, commended the organisers for the honour done her with the competition, especially using the platform to empower and add value to the lives of the girl-child in the state.

‘I will want to thank you all for your contributions and zeal towards the growth of sports, especially football in the state. This competition has no doubt, given us the opportunity to be closer to you’, she averred.

‘I also want to encourage parents to enroll their wards in football activities, even as I will want to appeal to stakeholders to contribute to the development of female football in the state.

‘I will want to congratulate not only the winners in the two categories of the competition, but all the teams and participants, for playing one role or the other, in sustaining the spirit. I will also want to commend you for exhibiting the spirit of oneness, tolerance, togetherness and that of sportsmanship, which have all seen us reaching this final stage successfully.

She commended the coaches for their resilience and patience in moulding our girls to what will bring out the desired commercial value in them, rather than been liabilities to their parents and the society.

The Chairperson of the Female Football Development Committee of the FA, Hajia Segilola Alaya commended the First Lady, for the encouragement embark on what she termed a fruitful journey of making the girl-child add value to the society through football.

‘Your Excellency ma, in our bid to create windows of opportunities for our girls, the Kwara State Football Association, under the leadership of Alhaji Idris Abdullahi Musa created the Female Football Development Committee, with my humble self as the Chairman.

‘Apart from teaching our girls how to play football, we also take them through lessons on ways of life, through counseling, seminars and others, all in the bid to make them useful in the society. We have also engaged some in various vocational activities, and invested on their education.

‘We are as well, planning to approach and collaborate with the Ministry of Women Affairs, on the development and empowerment of our girls.

She solicited for the assistance of the First Lady in sustaining the competition, and also to incorporate the girls in the interventions under the First Lady’s Ajike People’s Support Centre.

Hajia Alaya thanked Kwara government for giving the Kwara FA enabling atmosphere to flower and flourish. She also commended the First Lady, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, the Special Assistant on Sports and Youth Development, Mallam Attahiru Ibrahim, Kwara State Sports Council, Kwara State Football Referees Council, the sports writers and other stakeholders, for their support.

Pro-Games Ladies defeated Abimbola Female Football Academy 2-0 in the final of the schools/academies category, while Kolo Amazons won the third place prize after beating Hawawu FC 3-0 in the third place match.

In the clubs category, Moje Queens of Erin-Ile beat Ajike Abruka babes by a lone goal in the final, as Director of Sports Female team of Unilorin defeated Abruka Queens to win bronze.

Sports enthusiasts, philanthropists, administrators and Kwara FA members graced the colourful final.

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