Team Abuja has emerged as as winner of the 1st edition of Bedex Development Foundation Parasoccer tournament.
Team Abuja defeated Team Katsina 2-0 in the final to win the tournament held at Old Parade Ground Area 10 Sports Complex.
The parasoccer tournament is aimed at encouraging the disabled through sport in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).
The champion of the first edition went smiled home with a cash prize of N150,000 while the runners up left with N100,000.
Players awarded were Umar Dahiru- Best Player, Aliyu Tasiu- Best Defender, Lawal Umar- Best Coach all from Team Katsina, while Mohammed Shaibu of the Abuja Team went home with the Best Goal Scorer award.
Speaking at the tournament, the Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Mr Bede Okafor noted that the theme of the project, ” Ability In Disability Through Sport”, aptly describes the position of founders of the tournament which is to make light the burden of the disabled person in the society by inclusive programs to make them feel like they are a part of the community around them.
” My work is primarily to impact the society, especially the less privileged. I have been to some of their communities, Karmajiji here in Abuja, I have donated wheelchair, clutches and walking aids for the blind, food items, basic need to keep them going”.
Speaking about the tournament, he disclosed that once he discovered the paralympic had a football team in Karmajiji, he discussed with a friend to see how they could support them better.
” So when I found out they had a football team in Karmajiji, I got with a friend and we discussed how we could further reach out to them” he said.
Mr Okafor also revealed plans of securing a land to help train them in skill acquisition to help them be self-reliant, he said the tournament will be a quarterly event to help change life of the disabled nationally and internationally, while calling on Parasoccer Federation of Nigeria to partner with the foundation on further projects.
