The ìnitiator and founder of the Betsy Obaseki Women’s Football Tournament, the First Lady of Edo State Government, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, has declared that, no matter the political situation in Edo State, not minding the change of government from the PDP to the APC, Edo State will still remain the bedrock and the true home ground of the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament.

Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, who made a surprised appearance at the Draw Ceremony of the biggest preseason women’s football tournament in Nigeria in the last four years, midway into the event in the Edo States Government House’s Festival Hall, Benin City, noted with a warning that, the desire to make the FIFA recognised pre-season event may take a different dimension if the new government of the day openly rejected and gave the event a cold shoulder.

She noted that, such retrogressive move may force the event’s board of trustees to move the BOWFT out of Edo State to another welcoming venues like Lagos, Bayelsa and others as host of the championship since the event is a private partnership-owned one under the Betsy Obaseki Women Foundation.

Mrs. Obaseki, noted that , the private partnership event status gave the BOWFT the freedown to become a well organised international football championship which the event is today with involvement of two international clubs in attendance.

She stressed that, the elevation of the total prize monies to N30million as the champion’s prize money at N10million, second place at N7million, third place at N5million and fourth place at N3million, with each of the 10 consolation prizes at N750,000, has made the Betsy Obaseki Women’s Football Tournament a proper FIFA standard tournament.

She hinted that, the FIFA recognition had been a priority since the second edition of the tournament when she was invited to the FIFA Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, to receive an award for the great organisation of the event.

“I want to use this opportunity to say thank you to members of the Organising Committee, the board of Trustees, the women’s football clubs and all those who made the tournament a huge success in the last four years. We say thank you to Edo State for being the host in the four years and this likely to change.

The 4th edition of the Betsy Obaseki Women’s Football Tournament will officially flag of at the Main Bowl of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Monday, with other preliminary group match going at the Western Boys High School, Ikpoba Hills and the University of Benin Sports Complex.

The tournament preliminary group games have been broken into four groups, groups A to E with Group A made of Edo Queens, FC Robo and Remo Ladies tagged as the group of death. Because of the presence of three tough teams.

Group B has Bayelsa, Brave Hearts Fc of Benin City, Naija Ratels and Espoir Fc of Benin Republic.

Group C has Nasarawa Amazons, Confluence Queens of Lokoja and Abia Angels.

While Group E has Heartland Queens of Owerri, Fortress Ladies of Benin City, Delta Babes of Asaba and Aigle Royale of Benin Republic.

The Football Foundation for Africa (FFA) is proud to announce a landmark partnership with Little Africa, a pan-African “everyday everything” Super App and one of the continent’s largest ride-hailing service companies.

As the Official Ticketing and Mobility Partner for the Africa Football Business Summit 2024, Little Africa will provide convenient ticketing solutions and discounted transportation for delegates, solidifying its commitment to driving innovation and connectivity across Africa.

Little Africa’s reach spans multiple countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Somalia, serving as a trusted platform for ride-hailing, food delivery, payments, and more. Delegates attending the Africa Football Business Summit 2024, which will take place in Nairobi on the 24th and 25th of October, can enjoy discounted rides using the promo code AFBS2024.

Brian Wesaala, Founder and CEO of the Football Foundation for Africa, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “Little Africa’s comprehensive approach to providing daily services aligns with our vision of leveraging technology to enhance the experiences of our participants. Their mobility services will greatly contribute to the success of the Summit, ensuring delegates move efficiently throughout the event while promoting Pan-African innovation.”

The Africa Football Business Summit 2024, under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Youth Potential – Sports and Social Innovation at Play,” will bring together leading stakeholders from the world of football, sports business, and social innovation to discuss and explore the future of African football. With Little Africa as the Ticketing and Mobility Partner, the Summit is poised to offer an enhanced, seamless experience for all attendees.

Norah Mwamburi, Head of Events of Little Africa, said, “We are excited to partner with the Football Foundation for Africa in promoting sports and innovation through this Summit. Our mission is to connect and empower people across Africa, and by supporting this event, we are helping bring together critical voices in the sports ecosystem.”

The Africa Football Business Summit 2024 is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, bringing together stakeholders from over 30 countries to share insights and create opportunities that will shape the future of football on the continent. This partnership with Little Africa marks a major milestone in delivering a seamless, Pan-African experience.

To improve Communication and the impact of its programmes, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has resolved to hold more of its International Olympic Committee (IOC)- sponsored Solidarity Training courses and workshops outside the traditional hubs of Abuja and Lagos.

The Committee resolved this during its first Executive Committee meeting since the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and the NOC acknowledged that the feedback from the field had shown a more significant misunderstanding of its role.

A statement released by Tony Nezianya, the Public Relations Officer of the Committee, noted that staging most of its programmes in the States as one of the best ways to tackle this problem.

These States have demonstrated their effectiveness in implementing the messages of the Movement.

The Committee has then pleaded with State Governments to accept to provide the enabling environment for sports Commissions or Councils to host Olympic programmes.

”We believe these programmes will strengthen the administration and management of sports and invariably improve sports.

This will create a multiplier effect.’’ The Committee extensively discussed Team Nigeria’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

It acknowledged that although the team did not perform well overall, but acknowledged that despite this, at least eight athletes received certificates for improved performances.

They are: * Ese Brume – Athletics – 5th Place in Long Jump (W)

* Favour Ofili – Athletics – 6th Place in 200m (W)

* Chukwuebuka Enekwechi – Athletics – 6th Place in Shotput (Men)

* Samuel Ogazi – Athletics -7th Place – 400m (Men)

* Rafiatu Folashade Lawal- Weightlifting – 5th Place in 59kg (W)

* Joy Ogbonne Eze – Weightifting -7h Place in 71kg (W)

* Blessing Oborodudu – Wrestling Freestyle – 5th Place in Freestyle – 68kg (W)

* Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye – Wresting Freestyle – 8th Place in 57kg (Ww)

It also includes The badminton player, Anuoluwapo Opeyori, was hailed for improved performance. The National Basketball team, De Tigress, was adjudged the most improved team, and its coach was singled out for recognition as the best coach.

This is the first African team in the sport, male or female, to reach the quarter-final of any Olympic Games. The NOC praised the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Grand Patron of NOC, and the Federal Government for sponsoring and supporting Team Nigeria.

The NOC Executive Committee also praised Senator John Enoh, the Minister of Sports, for his hard work during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The Committee stressed the need for timely and yearly funding release to facilitate more meaningful pre-Games preparations and qualifications.

By taking the NOC’s programmes to the various States, the committee hopes to muster greater awareness and adoption of Olympic values while identifying and nurturing young sporting talents nationwide.

This strategic shift is a crucial step in Nigeria’s quest to become a consistent powerhouse on the Olympic stage.

The committee also discussed upcoming programmes and sporting competitions that require urgent attention.

These include the 1. Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Youth Games in Luanda, Angola, in December 2025;
2. the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October 2025; and

3. the African Beach Games in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in October 2025 and

4. the African School Sports Games in Algiers, Algeria in 2025. Others are

5. the Youth Olympic Games to be held in 2026 in Dakar, Senegal;

6. the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, U.K., in March 2026;

7. the African Games in Egypt in 2027;

8. the Winter Olympic Games in Milano, Italy; and

9. the Olympic Games – the 2028 Los Angeles Games in the U.S.A.

The NOC then praised States that played host to some of the NOC programmes, and, like Oliver Twist, the Committee asked the Governments for more support to help it open up the sports sector, which can help employ, empower, and positively engage the youth.

The NOC discussed further improvements at the Amuwo Odofin OlympAfric Sports Centre for youths to drop their sporting skills.

The facility will eventually become a national Training Centre available to relevant national federations.

It also discussed the development of a Permanent Secretariat of the NOC on a parcel of land already allocated to it in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.