MOLATsportgist

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Oshoala Disagrees With Oparanozie On Equal Pay Campaign.

Nigeria Super falcons assistant captain Asisat Oshoala does not believe demanding for equal pay is a top priority for women’s national teams in Africa.  Oshoala feels women’s football in Africa currently have more fundamental problems to be resolved than equal pay.

“It is a good thing that this demand caught FIFA’s attention,” the Nigeria forward told the Punch.

“But in Africa, we have other pressing issues to deal with in our football. We need to deal with our structures, facilities, and loads of issues before talking about equal pay. 

“I prefer we rather focus on problems affecting female football in Africa first,” she concluded.

The team captain Desire Oparanozie had made the demand to be paid the same as their men counterparts in her statement at the recent Ladies in Sports Conference in Lagos.

It happens that the captain and her assistant shares different opinions on equal pay.

Felix broke ties with Nike-kit brand over what she described as an unfair treatment of pregnant athletes.

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Allyson Felix have signed a sponsor deal with the GAP brand, a company who deals with with athletics wear.

Six-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix has spent most of her career focused on track. She’s also emerged as a feminist activist since becoming a mother in November 2018.

She is the first professional athlete to be sponsored by ‘GAP’ owned athletic-kit brand, Felix was chosen not just for her achievements on track, but explicitly for her outspoken advocacy on behalf of new moms in track sports, following Serena Williams step.

Felix says she hope her new deal with ‘GAP’ will offer a model for other companies to follow.

I hope this partnership is the start to redefining what sponsorship looks like for female athletes, embracing them as a whole and celebrating the idea of motherhood. – Felix to quartz reporter.

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Head coach of the Ghana national women team Mercy Tagoe share her journey in sport to inspire young girls.

In an event held in Lagos Nigeria organised to celebrate and encourage Ladies In Sports theme: Keeping The Barriers Down , Mercy Tagoe shares her experience on how she keeps her barriers down in her football journey.

Mercy is a Ghanaian football coach and former player who played as a defender for the Ghana women’s national football team. She was part of the first Black Queens team that qualified the Nation for u their first FIFA tournament at the 1999 #FIFA Women’s World Cup in the United States.
In 2019, talking about sport or wanting to work in sport can be a normal thing for everyone -whether you are a man or a woman. But being an African girl growing up back in the early ’70s, this wasn’t normal, especially in a Ghanaian household.
“I started as a tomboy being the only girl of a family of nine; wearing ties, shirts, trousers and suits with my brothers. I was a jack of all trade until I focused on football. At some point I stopped playing football because my father was transferred to another place.” – Mercy Tagoe told reporters.
When asked about her biggest challenge while paving the way for the young generation, she have this to say; “My biggest challenge was my dad. I had to lie about going somewhere else but I went to play football somewhere in Kumasi. Everyone saw me on TV and I was worried over how I would explain to my father. He congratulated me when I got home and that was when I kicked off”– Mercy Tagoe

How I get my national call up? – “The very day they were having the first national team-call-up for the Black queens, we were sent to Kumasi to play round-robin. We were 5 teams and they were using that small tournament to select players to form the National team. Fortunately or unfortunately, the day we went to Kumasi, I had to lie to my family in order for me to attend. My father even helped me pack my things and brought me to the office and left me. Quickly, I changed myself to my training kit and went to where we were camping and during the selection, there was one man who continuously bugged me throughout and he prevented me from been selected into the national team, so I just left. I then came back from another selection and this time I made the team”.
Mercy Tagoe, unfortunately, had to hang her boots at an early stage of her career due to injury but that didn’t deter her from doing the sport that she loves. She went into refereeing and didn’t only officiate Women games but men games as well. She left the refereeing scene as a FIFA License ‘A’ holder having officiated the U-20 Women’s World Cup in China in 2014. After leaving refereeing, she pursued a coaching course and became the first female Ghanaian coach to manage a league club. “While I was progressing, I realized I had to improve myself. I knew I was going to be the coach of the national team, before then I went to learn Guidance and Counselling. I have confidence in myself so that wherever I find myself I won’t be found wanting. At the U-20, I was scheduled to officiate the final but when Nigeria falconents had qualified for final having come from West Africa I had to be referred to officiate the third place play off.” – Mercy Tagoe
The 41-year was later appointed as the Assistant Coach of the Senior Women National team of Ghana, Black Queens, making it the first time in history for a woman to serve on the national team. Mercy went ahead to make more history by winning the Women WAFU tournament with the Black Queens in Cote d’Ivoire in 2018. “I beat Nigeria to lifted the WAFU last year but funny enough Nigeria came for revenge by beating me in this year edition. Quite unfortunate we didn’t make the World Cup but we go back to the board to finish our homework to come back stronger.”

In her interview, she called on the government and other corporate bodies to help improve the quality of the game to encourage the young generation. “In our part of the world, women are seen differently from men. Generally, I think men enjoy our game when we play football – so I think the FAs, government and corporates should do more to improve and promote the game and motivate the young girls striving to be great.”

She recalls her journey and appreciated her consistency and sacrifices as she encouraged young girls to stay focus and be on top of their games as she ends up her speech. “I have did everything in football as a pro. I played as a professional footballer, I was a professional referee (FIFA licensed) and now I am a professional coach. If no one tell me I have tried, I am telling myself ‘MERCY‘ you’ve tried. The way you package yourself is the way you will be price. Work hard and stay focus and always be yourself and keep pushing.” – Mercy Tagoe

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In an interview with MOLAT Sport Gist on a Friday evening at an event in Lagos Nigeria, Janeth Jepkosgei a 800m world champion from Kenya gave her reasons on why IAAF and other governing bodies like NCAA should ban transgender women from racing. In her view, transgender women discourages young ladies from racing professionally because it kills their hard work and sacrifices.
Why should girls race with someone who appears to be a woman on the outside but totally a man in the inside – Janeth told reporters. She continues by saying “I think IAAF should put a total ban on transgender women coming into athletics. I am not against those who wished to change their gender but I am concerned about the young ladies who had trained so hard to be champion only for them to race against someone who biologically they can not defeat.”
Recently, in the college race, CeCe Telfer, who was born and raised as Craig Telfer, won the women’s 400m hurdles national title at the 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Franklin Pierce University.
Telfer won the final with a time of 57.53s. Second-place was way back in 59.21s. Telfer also earned All-American First Team honours with a fifth-place finish in the 100m hurdles earlier in the day .
Before joining the women’s team this season, she competed against other men and was ranked outside the top 200 runners in college athletics. In 2016 and 2017, Telfer ranked 200th and 390th, respectively, and she didn’t compete in 2018.
“I believe if we keep giving our voices with the help of the media, things will change for the upcoming athletes. Men who failed in their game shouldn’t be allowed in women game because it discourages the hardworking young ones.” – Janeth Jepkosgei
Testosterone levels in athletics have been a big discussion point after South African 800m runner Caster Semenya was told by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) she must take testosterone-suppressing medication to lower her testosterone levels to compete.
You have been racing with Semenya in the 800m race and hardly won, recently she had issue with the IAAF. Do you think Semenya should be allowed to race with fellow women and what is the difference between Semenya and Telfer?
Janeth Jepkosgei : “we have many women like Semenya in Africa but they lost their confidence to body-shaming bullies , Semenya is a voice to other women in her situation, she gave them confidence to dream again. …. it’s not Semenya’s fault that she was born that way and I salute her courage for not giving up on who she is. On the other hand, Telfer was a man who decided to live as a woman and I have no problem with her decision but it gives her upper hand over the other ladies.”
How do you feel when you lose against Semenya? – “I never feel lost to Semenya because for every race I came second, I tell myself 2 is a number too, you’ve done so well. So I keep training hard and I’m happy because I like Semenya she is my sister from South Africa.”– Janeth Jepkosgei

Romania’s Simona Halep stuns Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon title. Simona Halep beat Serena Williams 6-2 6-2 to become the first Romanian to ever win Wimbledon and deprive the American of a 24th grand slam title that would have tied Margaret Court for the all-time lead.

Have you ever played a better match than that?”

Simona Halep: “Never!
It was the best match and of course Serena always inspires us. It was my mom’s dream. The day came, so thanks to my family
and my team. Thanks to my country because I have a lot of support there… At the beginning of the tournament I spoke to the people in the locker room. If I would win, it would be amazing because I would get membership for life.
Here I am!.”

Romania’s Simona Halep stuns Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon title. Simona Halep beat Serena Williams 6-2 6-2 to become the first Romanian to ever win Wimbledon and deprive the American of a 24th grand slam title that would have tied Margaret Court for the all-time lead.

Have you ever played a better match than that?”

Simona Halep: “Never!
It was the best match and of course Serena always inspires us. It was my mom’s dream. The day came, so thanks to my family
and my team. Thanks to my country because I have a lot of support there… At the beginning of the tournament I spoke to the people in the locker room. If I would win, it would be amazing because I would get membership for life.
Here I am!.”

Romania’s Simona Halep stuns Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon title. Simona Halep beat Serena Williams 6-2 6-2 to become the first Romanian to ever win Wimbledon and deprive the American of a 24th grand slam title that would have tied Margaret Court for the all-time lead. The latest Wimbledon champion acknowledged at her post match presser that Serena is an inspiration to her and young players. She told reporter what it means to win her first Wimbledon title as she was asked if she had ever played a better match than this particular stunner. Reporter- Have you ever played a better match than that?

Simona Halep: “Never!
It was the best match and of course Serena always inspires us. It was my mom’s dream. The day came, so thanks to my family
and my team. Thanks to my country because I have a lot of support there. At the beginning of the tournament I spoke to the people in the locker room. If I would win, it would be amazing because I would get membership for life.
Here I am!.”