Former Chelsea striker and Cote d’Ivoire captain, Didier Drogba, Super Eagles former captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Napoli star, Victor Osimhen and Italian star, Mario Balotelli, are among top football personalities billed to feature in Abuja’s first Charity Champions Cup to hold on June 15.
Other top stars listed are former Barcelona Ladies striker, who now plays for Bay FC in the United States, Asisat Oshoala, Dan Amokachi, Kanu Nwankwo, Patrice Evra, Emmanuel Adebayo, Emmanuel Eboue, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Michelle Alozie.
Also listed for the event being organised by Attom Foundation as part of its efforts to raise awareness on eye diseases, are such celebrities as Funny Bone, Ayo Makun, Paul and Peter Okoye, Kemen, Akpororo, Tiwa Savage and Crazy Clown.
At the event, doctors would be on hand to carry out eye operations on over 10,000 Nigerians, the foundation said, adding that as part of efforts to support Nigerians, especially those with issues with their sight, the foundation will provide 36 busses to convene people to the stadium.
Speaking at the unveiling of the initiative at the Eco Bank Pan African Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, founder, Attom Foundation, Yahaya Attom, said: “We want to use sports to help people and raise awareness. I discussed with my friends and they loved the initiative and are ready to support it. We are focusing on eye diseases. The health system needs a lot of support and we are ready to help people to regain full use of their sight.
“There are many people with sight issues which can be prevented and that’s our focus in this edition… we will focus on other things in subsequent programmes.”
One of the participating health officials, Dr. Chibuike Ndukwe-Nwoke, who is a doctor of Optometry, said: “I was excited when I was told about this initiative to provide eye care for Nigerians who can’t afford it.
As at the last research done in 2022 where 15,000 people were engaged, it was discovered that 84 per cent of them were living with preventable visual impairments, which is a high figure.
“Their sight could be fixed by either using glasses, surgery or medication but they were doing nothing about it. Again, over 50 per cent of the 84 per cent was as a result of refractive error, which means they can use glasses to correct the problem. 30 per cent are as a result of cataract which surgery could take care of.
“It must be a norm that Nigerians go for eye check every year. It’s better to detect early to avoid being too late.”
Speaking also, Dr. Kafayat Shafau, popularly known by her stage name Kaffy, said: “I have a foundation too and I know what it is when I see a kindred spirit; meeting Attom one-on-one, I knew he’s real. I am skeptical about putting my names or being part of some initiative but meeting him and understanding where he was coming from, I decided to work with me because he aligns with what I will be doing for my country and that is why the Kaffy Creative Agency is coming in to project and coordinate the programme.
“As a dancer, I have been elevating the minds of young people through dancing, making them believe on how much their passion can be profitable so, when it comes to anything that has to do with youth development, nation’s building, health and awareness, I will always be there and that is why I am part of this.
“Football is a uniting sport and it’s the voice of the Nigerian people and we saw that at the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and Attom is using that to penetrate Nigerians and giving them vision.
“There will be 36 vision buses to be distributed nationwide to convene people. This is a national project and we are going to ensure that every part of the country get impacted by this initiative.
“We are urging Nigerians who are well to do to contribute to this cause ; we need volunteers because having 60,000 people at the national stadium takes a lot.
On his part, Stanley Chibunna, popularly known as Funny Bone said: “Football unifies and of you use football as a tool to drive any cause, you might never go wrong. Football is fun and with football, I know we will be able to pass this message, share and tell more people to support this.
“I was happy when Attom discussed the idea with me. I teacher of mine in school struggled with her sight but she couldn’t resign because she needed the money and we knew her issue so, that is the importance of sight. We must constantly go for eyes check.
