Nigeria: Veteran broadcaster announces pet project for girls – F3TC
By Chinyere Ogbonna – A veteran broadcaster and an Assistant Director Programmes, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Mrs. Funke Treasure-Durodola who has worked with FRCN for eighteen years has announced a pet project for girls- The Funke Treasure Table Tennis Championship (F3TC). This is aimed at developing the girl child from the low-income families through sports and empowerment sessions in life skills.
Shout-Africa correspondent Chinyere with Mrs. Abiodun
The competition, to hold annually in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, southwest Nigeria, will kick off this month, September 18 through September 21, 2018. Ahead of the Championship, two novelty matches have been held in Lagos and Ibadan respectively, themed “Media for F3TC”.
Besides creating awareness for F3TC, Mrs. Durodola said that the aim was to engage accomplished media professionals as Championship Ambassadors to support the girls. Addressing a press conference/Novelty Match at the Ibadan Recreation Club, preparatory to the Championship scheduled to hold this month, Founder Funke Table Tennis Championship, F3TC, Mrs. Funke Treasure Durodola, said that the maiden edition would involve more than a hundred students from various schools, launching them from school to spotlight.
She said her vision for the Championship was to reduce the rate at which girls drop out after junior secondary levels in schools to keep them engaged through sports to create value for themselves and negotiate their continued stay in school. She noted that the number of beneficiaries would be doubled annually until a critical mass of aware, informed and fearless girls who would mature into womanhood with Knowledge and critical skills is achieved.
F3TC Championship Ambassadors
According to the F3TC initiator, the Championship is in three categories which include: the competitors: who will be picked from public and private schools in the thirteen (13) Local Government Area of Ibadan city. The Back Learners: aged between eight and ten years who cannot play the game, would be randomly picked and mentored over a period of eight years to prepare them for global competitions such as Olympics.
She noted the third category would be trainee coaches which would be made up with girls to be trained as coaches and they would easily feed into F3TC and Oyo Tennis Federation. Mrs. Durodola noted that during the four-day event, which would include a coaching clinic, the Championship hopes to host; forty-five teacher, games masters; 10 coaches, and ten officials: LOC members and not less than one hundred guests and spectators daily during the four day event.
Mrs. Durodola also explained that there would be empowerment sessions for the participants to address various life enhancing issues including financial literacy; drugs reproductive health education. She gave an assurance that there would be cervical cancer vaccination for all the girls and women attendees F3TC is partnering with five time Table Tennis Olympia , level two high performance coach (ITTF and sports and Exercise Analyst Mrs.Bosede Kafo on this championship among other notable personalities.
Bosede Kaffo a Nigerian professional table tennis player who competed at five Olympics from 1992 to 2008.
The F3TC founder who noted that the championship would be used to raise girls who would be aware and informed, emphasized that the championship was not for street girls, but for those in various schools in Oyo state. She decried a situation where women could not do anything for themselves except with the support I their husbands, adding that women should have a life of their own and not be dependent on their spouses to survive.
The founder of F3TC, Funke Treasure-Durodola
F3TC initiator, said that the championship was aimed at raising a new generation of girls who would become Olympic Champions before age sixteen and still pursuing their education. Mrs. Durodola said that the whole idea was to coach the young girls, support and encourage them to become who they ought to be by creating an enabling platform for them to recreate, train to combine their talents with education to become better and independent citizens to themselves, family and the nation at large who would write their names and that of the country on the global map via Olympic championship.
F3TC Initiator Funker Treasury Presenting an award to a former Tennis Icon, Mrs Sola Abiodun
F3TC Initiator, Funke Treasure-Durodola playing during the novelty match
She noted that the girls would equally be exposed to their reproductive rights, and to educate them on how to early understand some health issues affecting women such as cervical cancer among other issues.According to Mrs. Durodola, the whole idea was for the girls to appreciate that there is value in being a girl, while adding that it could not have been a mistake for them to be born girls.
She called for coaches that would volunteer to teach the girls table tennis skills to prepare them for the task ahead, while also appealing to women who could support individual child’s education, tennis sports kit not to hesitate to do so, so that more children could benefit from the life changing programme. The F3TC founder who noted that management of the championship was also going to come up with a financial literacy programme for the children at a tender age that would be supervised by members of F3TC organising committee to see how far it would have grown by next year.
Funke Treasure with two former Nigerian Table Tennis Champions Mrs. Sola Abiodun and Bosede Koffo
Many who spoke on the Championship during the event commended the initiative which according to some of them, was just one out of the numerous steps she had taken to change the stories of many women including men that had come across her especially, in the media space.
High points of the event was the unveiling of the jersey for the Championship in different categories, presentation of awards to some deserving individuals and organisations including a former Nigerian Tennis Champion, Mrs. Sola Abiodun whose son also plays for Nigeria. Awards were also presented to sponsors of the event including Emzor Pharmaceuticals.
One of the young girls playing during the novelty match
Some F3TCC Champion Ambassadors
Volunteers at the event
