Fall out of Newstap/ SWAN Award: Benue FA Chairman charges women to float football teams
By Ifeanyi Eduzor
Chairman of Benue State Football Association, Chief Dr Paul Edeh Esq has applauded organizers of the just concluded maiden Newstap/SWAN Five Star Sports Award describing it as a worthy initiative even as he dedicated his award to the country’s women football.
Speaking shortly after receiving his award, Edeh noted that the organisers must be commended for their sound and unbiased judgement in selecting the awardees who he said have done a lot in the development of the country’s sports ecosystem positing that the award will encourage him to do more for the sports sector.
While dedicating his award to the country’s women football, Edeh, who is the founder of Naija Ratels explained that the dedication became necessary inorder to encourage the country’s women players to continue to do more for the round leather game.
“I’m dedicating this award to our women footballers to enable them do more in the game. They’ve conquered Africa many times and also did well at the world level and I want them to maintain the momentum,” he stressed.
He however expressed surprise that women are not showing interest in setting up women club sides in the country and charged them to start thinking towards that direction.
“It’s surprising that it’s men that are setting up women football club sides in the country while our well to do women are sitting on the bench watching.
“I challenge our women folk to start thinking of floating women teams as that will go a long way in not only creating jobs for the girl child but help in improving the game,” he concluded.
Newstap/ SWAN Five Star Sports Award will encourage GTI to do more for Nigerian football – Abubakar
…Says company to unveil third stage of it’s sponsorship deal soon
An excited Group Managing Director of GTI Assets Management and Trust Limited Abubakar Lawal says that the Newstap/ SWAN Five Star Sports Award recently bestowed on him will encourage his company to do more in the sponsorship of the Nigerian League.
Abubakar who was one of the five awardees at the carnival like event that had the Chairman of National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko as the Chairman of the award nite said he’s overwhelmed by the recognition accorded to his company in their efforts to make the country’s league not only competitive and attractive but one of the best leagues in the world.
“I’m highly elated that the umbrella body of sports journalists in this country , SWAN and a leading online platform, Newstap recognized our huge investment in reviving the Nigerian league and we at GTI are happy with this award.
“This award is too dear to me and that was why I came here with my lovely wife and the GTI team to witness this auspicious occasion and this award like I said earlier will spur us to do more for the country’s league,” he stressed.
According to the financial guru, GTI has successfully carried out the first two stages of the sponsorship deal and will very soon unveil the third stage which will go a long way in consolidating what they’ve achieved so far.
“When we ventured into the sponsorship of the league, many people were sceptical about its success. But after implementing our first and second programmes which produced tremendous successes, many Nigerians are now believing in the league and I think we’re getting there.
“By the time we roll out our third strategic plan, which will be very soon, the league will be consolidated and Nigerians will be proud to associate with the game as is done in other climes,” he concluded.
