The Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), Ogun State chapter has been inaugurated, jut as the pioneer Executive members were also sworn-in.
The inauguration ceremony held at Alake Sports Complex, Abeokuta on Thursday, witnessed large turnout of former female athletes who had represented and won medals for Ogun and Nigeria in the respective sporting events.
Present at the inauguration was the Director of Sports, Ogun State Sports Council, Mrs. Folakemi Iyabode Rotimi; Dr. Gloria Obajimi, who delivered a lecture series with the theme ‘Sports as vehicle for empowerment of a girl child’, and host of others.
The pioneer executives will pilot the affairs of the association for the next four years while former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mrs. Moyosore Olowomi was decorated as Matron of AFFAN.
The state execute members comprised of Dr. Bolatito Adeniji as the Coordinator while Iyabode Adebayo will serve as the General Secretary. Others were Bello Kafayat (Assistant Secretary); Oguntona Rachael (Welfare); Toyin Omoka (PRO); Ajibola Ronke (Financial Secretary); Christy Aremu (Chief Whip), and Funmilayo Ajobiewe (Tressurer).
In her welcome address, the coordinator, Dr Adeniji noted that AFFAN is a non-governmental, non-profit making autonomous association of unlimited duration with the status of legal person and registered as such with the Corporate Affairs Commission, with its headquarters in Abuja.
Furthermore, Dr. Adeniji, former Deputy Provost, Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele, Abeokuta remarked: “The activities of the association are linked to the promotion of active and retired female athletes.
“It is also to enable active and retired athletes to make use of their wealth of field experience to promote activities of female athletes of today to attain sports excellence.
“Members of this association will organise programs such as conferences, seminars, workshops, retreats, and competitions through partnership and sponsorship that would encourage and strengthen the participation of women and girls in sports, technically, administrative and politically.
“With this at the back of our minds, the association will wish that members in the society will also help to take care of our female athletes in the state by adopting an athlete in their choice of sports, such as athletics, handball, football, hockey and many others.”
In the same vein, Mrs. Iyabode stated: “Judging by my experience and with all sense of modesty and responsibility, I know quite well the challenges facing a girl child that is just trying to find her footings in the sports industry.
“So, as the theme of this event suggests, I believe this is an avenue to beam more light on issues affecting the girl child in the sports industry, and start proffering solutions to them.”
The former Nigeria number two tennis player furthered: “I want use this medium to charge all the members of this association that is being inaugurated today to bring their wealth of experiences and resources to the table in order to help the girl child participation in the sporting world.
“Let us all join hands with the government to eliminate the sufferings of the teaming female athletes in the state. In our various individual capacities and collectively as a body, let us champion the cause of our teaming female talents and help them to attain their best potentials.”
Meanwhile, in the U-15 Female Basketball Competition organized by AFFAN, War Queens Basketball Academy, Sango beat her counterpart, Fortune Basketball Academy, Abeokuta in the final.
The Sango based basketball academy girls beat Fortune girls in a one sided final on Thursday during the inauguration by 54/14 points to lift the trophy while Five-Fingers Basketball Academy from Sango finished third at the event.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of medals and trophies to the top three basketball academy as well as many other prizes.
