The Wife of the Edo Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, says the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament is beyond playing football to touch the lives of women in Edo and Nigeria.
Obaseki said this in Benin briefing the journalists in Benin on the 4th Edition of the soccer event, which kicked off on Monday in Benin with 14 teams.
The reports that nine premiership female club sides are participating if will last for 10 days.
Mrs Obaseki, who is the chairman of the board of trustees of the tournament, said the “idea of the tournament is to empower women in Nigeria and support them to make a career out of football.”
According to her, the tournament will certainly continue after the end of Obaseki’s administration because the tournament is privately funded and sponsored with a board in place alongside a marketer.
“Four years ago we started with 12 teams and in the fourth edition we have 14 teams with two international teams.
“The prize 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”, she said.
Obaseki regretted that sports was dead in the state before the present administration came in eight years ago despite being the number one state in sports in Nigeria during the time of Samuel Ogbemudia
