…Charges others to emulate her
Stories by George Aluo
Sports Minister, Sunday Dare has poured encomiums on the First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki for putting together the Betsy Obaseki Football Tournament. Dare who spoke during the draw of the tournament at Government House Benin noted that Mrs Obaseki has done exceptionally well to promote the girl child, even as he charged other First Ladies in the country to emulate her. Dare was also full of praise for Nigerian women declaring that the nation’s female athletes are dazzling on all fronts. “Mrs. Obaseki has done well in supporting her husband to deliver good governance. I m happy she has also delved into sports and her tournament which came up immediately after the country hosted the Aisha Buhari Cup is very commendable. Our women are doing the country proud.
The D’Tigress has just set a new record in African basketball by winning Afrobasket back to back a record three times. At the Olympics, the two medals we won were won by women. At Paralympics seven of the 10 medals we won came from women. At the World Athletics meet in Kenya the story was not in anyway different. This is one of the reasons I decided to honor the invitation of Edo state government to be in Benin for the draw. We must support our women to win more laurels for the country,” Dare said. The Betsy Obaseki Football Tournament which attracted 12 top clubs in the country had the theme…”promoting the girl child.”
ASFU team visits LASU, donates sporting kits
A Team of African Students Football Union (ASFU), has visited the Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, as part of the tour of some Africa countries and donated some sporting kits to the institution’s football team. During the visit on Friday the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, LASU, Olatunji-Bello said that the visit of the African Students Football Union (ASFU) team will kick start the achievements of her vision in sporting development for the University. Olatunji Bello said, “I love football and for years, I have been sponsoring female football team. We shall look into all your proposals and the management will give you all the support needed. Hosting international sporting activities is one of my objectives so as to place our University on the world map, “she explained. The Vice Chancellor appreciated the donation and assured the ASFU team that the jerseys would be kept “When your international team comes on a visit to LASU, we shall give you a rousing welcome,” she added. On his part, Omotayo congratulated Mrs Olatunji-Bello on her appointment and announced the Council’s decision to begin an Africa-wide tour starting from LASU because the institution is the best football institution in Africa, having won the ASFU tournament in 2019. “The Philosophy of ASFU is a handshake between the town and the gown in a bid to develop the Sports of Football amongst Tertiary Institution on the continent. When the idea to establish an Africa Centre of Excellence came up, we pushed Nigeria on the agenda and having looked all through the country, we discovered that LASU is the University that has all it takes to be the ace. This will attract the establishment of several sporting facilities such as a football arena, a ten track lane, an Olympic sized swimming pool, Human performance laboratory, where biomechanical analyses and research in sports can be done, a student hostel facilities among others. The funding partners are ready to come to LASU, “Omotayo said. Some of the donations presented to the VC included the newly designed custom made jerseys, face caps, and footballs. Dignitaries who graced the occasion include; Acting Registrar, LASU, Mr. Emmanuel Fanu, the Bursar, Mr. Said Olayinka, University Librarian Dr. Emmanuel Lai Adebayo, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, Director of Sports LASU, Dr. Segun Odewunmi, Executive Secretary, ASFU, Mr. Femi Abioye, Executive Technical Adviser to the President ASFU, Mr. Olumide Nunayon Travih, officials of the VC’s office, the CIPPR amongst others.
