In celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Iyaniwura Children Care Foundation (ICCF) Live Skills Centre organized a captivating novelty football match against the Bet9ja Foundation.
The event took place at Campos Stadium in Lagos Island, where the ICCF Live Skills Center team triumphed over the Bet9ja Foundation in an exciting 11-goal thriller. The game concluded with a 6-5 victory for the ICCF Live Skills Center, showcasing the remarkable football skills of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Chairman of ICCF, Bankole Animashaun, expressed the significance of events that positively promote the challenges faced by persons with disabilities. He stressed the importance of raising awareness and urged relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts in addressing the welfare of Persons with Disabilities.
“Any positive awareness about the plight of persons with disabilities is something that should be welcomed. They have set aside the International Day for Persons with Disabilities for awareness. This event is a continuation of highlighting the challenges faced by disabled people in our country. One of the things I always say is that we have stigmas and stories about the disabled that do not help. So the first thing to do is to demystify it; there is nothing mystical about it; it is a medical issue. This event highlights the need to do more for persons with disabilities,” he remarked.
Alberto Cuomo, a director at Bet9ja and a trustee of the Bet9ja Foundation, emphasized the necessity to eliminate the stigma associated with the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) community. He disclosed that the partnership between Bet9ja Foundation and ICCF aimed to promote equal opportunities for everyone.
“The partnership between the Bet9ja Foundation and ICCF is a collaboration to promote equal opportunities among everyone. As part of the Bet9ja Foundation, we are impacting people’s lives. We want to impact these individuals and give them the best opportunities possible. The initiative is an opportunity for everybody to have fun, to play football on equal terms. It doesn’t matter whether you are differently-abled or not; we are playing here to have fun. At the end of the day, everyone will come out with a smile, having enjoyed the football match,” Cuomo stated.
He further emphasized the need to dispel the long-standing negative connotations surrounding disabilities, acknowledging the challenges faced by those born with disabilities and advocating for support and assistance rather than blame.
Also, speaking with BONews during the novelty match, Olajumoke Matilda Otitoloju, the Project Coordinator for ICCF Live Skills Center, expressed concern about the marginalization of people with intellectual disabilities, despite being the second-largest cluster in the community of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). She highlighted the foundation’s efforts to train individuals with intellectual disabilities in sports, including football and swimming, to unlock their untapped potentials and pave the way for their representation on the international stage.
“Persons with intellectual disabilities are the second-largest cluster of disability in Nigeria, but they are the most stigmatized, most marginalized, and very vulnerable. Because of these challenges, we see that there are a lot of untapped potentials in them. That is why we started training them in football and swimming, playing numerous novelty matches to help them enhance their skills. They will be professionals one day and will represent their cluster at the international arena,” Otitoloju explained.
