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Port Harcourt-based Restaurant Owner Emilia George Recalls Glorious Days Of Community Action Through Sport
A restaurant owner in Port Harcourt, Emilia Boma George has recalled the glorious days she while handling the catering department of Community Action Through Sport (CATS) many years ago.
The experienced caterer, who is still fondly called ‘Aunty Emilia’ and now runs an eatery named Boma Kitchen in the Rivers State capital, recounted many exciting days she had while training many teenage boys and girls at CATS.
Aunty Emilia, who was in Lagos this week for the maiden Goals For Girls Leadership Summit at The Stable Sports Complex, Bode Thomas Road, Surulere, added that the two-day female gender programme reminded her about various activities she had with CATS, which was sponsored by The British Council from 2001 to 2009.
While hinting at her plan to open a branch of Boma Kitchen in Lagos before this year runs out, Aunty Emilia further told Sports247 that she was happy to hear that many CATS’ kids of those days are now waxing strong as mature youth leaders, coaches, instructors and entrepreneurs.
She retorted, “I’m so happy with this programme, because it reminds me about the days we had together during the days of CATS. It’s at this same complex that the football section of CATS used to train in those days.
“I am so happy that those children we trained in those days are now training other children the same way we did for them. That means they learnt very well and did not forget what they were taught.”
The amiable caterer, who took CATS’ kids through different cooking sessions every Saturday at K. Kotun Memorial School, which was founded by the late mother of the project director, Alhaji Agboola Dabiri, went on to mention some of the kids who are now well established in various fields of life.
“I’m happy seeing that Chinasa Ukandu is part of this Goals For Girls programme and she is working along with some of her colleagues from CATS. She’s the country manager for Goals For Girls, which is based in the USA.
“Kehinde Ogunneye, who lived in England for many years, is working with Chinasa in this programme and as her assistant coach at CATS Ladies football club, which also has Sunday Odetayo in charge of the boys team, while Savage is also a coach with Asisat Oshaola Football Academy.
“I also hear that Jamiu Isah came back from England after some years, and he is now a football coach in Lagos. Kazeem Kareem and Chima Uchechi are still in the UK, while Elijah Dominic is in the US.
“It’s good to see them achieving great things as coaches and mentors in variius locations. That proves that CATS was not a waste of time and money. They learnt leadership training, community impact and sports development. It was wonderful,” Aunty Emilia submitted.
Sports247 also gathered that the new-look CATS Ladies FC, which won the Lagos State Women’s League last year, is an offshoot of the former British Council-sponsored project, but is now a full-fledged club owned by the project’s former director, Alhaji Dabiri.
The football enthusiast, educator and farm owner, who was fondly called ‘PD’ during CATS’ project days, is a former chairman of both Surulere Local Government and Lagos State Sports Council as well as erstwhile commissioner for youth and environmental development.
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