Betsy Obaseki the wife of Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki said sports in the State has taken an upward swing with the intervention of her husband.
Mrs. Obaseki was speaking Monday in Benin City on the sideline of the ongoing Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament (BOWFT) running between October 2 and 13 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium. She stated that sports was moribund in Edo before the Obaseki’s administration came on board adding that Edo was the number one State in Nigerian sports during the time of Samuel Ogbemudia.
She submitted that Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens have made the state proud in the Nigeria Premier Football League and the Nigeria Women Football League, which they won and will be representing WAFU in the CAF Women Champions League.
“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. 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.”
Speaking on the BOWFT she added.
“Four years ago we started with 12 teams and in the fourth edition we have 14 teams with two international teams. The price 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.
“This tournament has produced players that played for our female national team and also for foreign Clubs as our efforts is yielding desirable results. The tournament is helping to grow and develop female football in Nigeria also creating opportunities for our female children to make a career out of football”.
A total of 14 clubs are participating in 10-day sports fiesta, out of which nine are premiership clubs, they include Edo Queens FC, Fortress Ladies FC of Benin, Rivers Angels FC, Nasarawa Amazons FC, Naija Ratel FC, Abuja, Heartland Queens FC of Imo, FC Robo of Lagos, and Ekiti Queens FC.
