Foundation seeks participation of girls in mainstream sports

Obande Obole, the Sports Content Coordinator, Adamark Foundation for Girls (AMF4G), an NGO, says the foundation is set to encourage girls to participate in the mainstream of sports, especially basketball.

Obole told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the foundation was concerned about girl’s rights to sports.

According to him, girls are not being featured well in sports.

“Adamark foundation for girls is a non-profit organisation designed to help girls get back into the main stream because we notice that girls are not featured in anything that goes on especially as it concerns any sport.

“So, part of what we do, are programmes that will bring girls out for sports particularly basketball.

“You see girls playing football in Area 3, but how many programmes do they have? How many things are done for girls? Check out the disparity between the female national teams and the male national teams; it’s terrible.

“The Falcons did not go for any plane tour and you saw what happened. African Champions no Plane tour, seating here in Nigeria and playing against some – I don’t know what to call them (local teams)?

“So, for us here, we want girls to participate also; we want to increase the programmes that girls should have access to.“

He said that the foundation also had other programmes lined up to promote girl-child education.

“The foundation has programmes lined up for the girl-child educationally; we have done two to three of these programmes in Benue.

“The programmes include teaching a girl to read and write and general hygiene that a girl must know or learn.

“In Abuja, it is basically basketball for now, but we hope to expand our educational programmes to Abuja,“ he said.

NAN reports that AMF4G was formally incorporated on May 5, 2010, with the aim of advancing the cause of girls and young women.

The NGO uses education and sports as tools for social change and women empowerment