Former tennis player Morolake Olateru Olagbegi Kassim has outlined the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria’s (AFFAN) commitment to improving the welfare of female athletes, protecting them from abuse and empowering the next generation of sportswomen.
Kassim, who spoke at the association’s gathering for their maiden AGM in Lagos, said AFFAN was established to ensure that female athletes receive the benefits and support that many former competitors did not enjoy during their sporting careers.
“Our objective is to give life, all the benefits the old female players didn’t get to have. We’re trying to have all the new girls, all the female athletes, have it,” she said.
She explained that the association’s advocacy also focuses on protecting female athletes from verbal and sexual abuse, particularly within sporting environments where some individuals in positions of authority exploit their influence.
Kassim, who identified herself as a criminologist, said she was particularly concerned about reports of coaches making sexual advances towards female athletes and using promises of team selection to manipulate them.
“With me being a criminologist, I want to be able to protect all the females. A lot of them have gone through verbal abuse and sexual abuse,” she said.
She added that AFFAN was committed to educating young female athletes on sexual health, building their self-esteem and helping them understand that they could achieve success and live fulfilling lives through sports without resorting to exploitative relationships.
“We’re trying to give them self-esteem. We’re doing a lot of things to help them, to empower them in all forms of shape and form,” Kassim added.
Beyond its advocacy and empowerment programmes, she described the gathering as an opportunity for former female athletes to reconnect after several years apart.
Kassim said the reunion would allow members who had previously interacted through online platforms to meet physically, recognise one another and strengthen the bonds within the association.
She expressed excitement about meeting former colleagues and other sports personalities she had known by name but had never encountered in person.
For her, the gathering represented more than a reunion; it was an opportunity to strengthen relationships among former athletes while advancing the association’s broader mission of improving the experiences of women in Nigerian sports.
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