At the weekend, Super Eagles star, Moses Simon officially unveiled his academy. Dignitaries come from far and near. One of them is the Queen of Kada City FC. In this exclusive interview, she talks to Bellsnews.com about the academy and about Kada City FC.
Bellsnews: May we we know you?
QK: My name is Grace John, the Queen of Kada City FC, I’m popularly known as Queen Kada.
Bellsnews: Your thoughts on the occasion today
QK: I will say this is a long awaited dream for our Super Eagles player, Moses Simon, as well as the good people of Kaduna State. This is a vision and a dream that has finally come true as a way of giving back to the society. From what I saw at this occasion, I am happy that people from different communities, regardless of religion or ethnicity came together like a unified body to grace this occasion. It was like giving back to where he started; the grassroots. The massive turnout of fans here was impressive, more than the attendance at some league matches. Prominent people were here too, it is a good starting point for him.
Bellsnews: How did you become the Queen of Kada City?
QK: (smiles) It happened on April 30 2019. An official meeting was called by the club, invitations were sent out to people and I too, invited some people. I didn’t know there was a surprise package waiting for me. There, the CEO of the club, Hon. Ekene Abukakar Adams announced me as the Queen of Kada City FC and the female brand ambassador of the club.
Bellsnews: What could be the reason?
QK: The reason could be that I have been with the club since they were unveiled in February 2018. I was perhaps the only vibrant female supporter they had who gave hundred percent to the team. I followed them to away matches, updating people about proceedings too. My love for the round leather game was clearly evident; it was not my money but my time and presence.
Bellsnews: That is captivating. Could you please talk to us about your achievements so far?
QK: My achievement started on the day I was announced as the Queen of Kada City. I brought many ladies that day to the meeting and there, they pledged their unflinching support and allegiance to the club which was one of my priorities. One of my goals was to bring more ladies to be fans of the league and that goal has been achieved because today, we have many ladies that do not miss Kada City games. http://www.bellsnews.com/sports/nwpl-match-preview-kaduna-queens-vs-sunshine-queens/
Bellsnews: What other projects and programs have Kada City embarked on under your watch?
QK: We now have affiliation with music, sports, and other forms of entertainment. We have enlarged our scope to capture the hearts and minds of people through entertainment. Today, we have the largest and most organized fan base in Kaduna. I organized the Obaze soccer clinic. The CEO, Patrick Obaze, has given me the opportunity to show what I can do and we have been around four states and I will proudly say that it has been a success. It gave me the opportunity to work with top coaches and agents and see first hand, how football is run. I’m also involved in scouting programs. We also integrate music and sports into our programs where we sign Kaduna based artistes under Kada City because we love entertainment too. In this way, we spread our tentacles to get the youths active. I was involved in a tour which we call the ‘karawuta’ tour–a tour for one of our artistes. We have done tours in Kaduna on radio and TV, we are moving to Jos and Adamawa and at least 10 cities in the North.
Bellsnews: Apart from music and sports, are you also involved in other programs?
QK: Sure. We have a health walk exercise which is the ‘know your bp’ health walk where sports lovers and players will have the opportunity to test their blood pressure and they will be enlightened about blood pressure as a player or an individual. We also have an affiliation with the Miss Nigeria Football Queen, under the guidance of Hon. Tayo of the House of Representatives. There is also an ongoing project with the brand ambassador of the Finest Queens of Nigeria that will involve ladies and Queens in sports.
Bellsnews: What are your thoughts on grooming young players?
QK: When you talk about sports and music, grooming young talents is essential. That is when you begin to pattern their minds toward their goals and achievements. You have to groom them in the right way and pattern, using the right formation. It is one of the most important starting points, especially from the grassroots.
Bellsnews: What is your message to fans of Kada City FC of Kaduna?
QK: (ecstatic) I will keep this that we are ‘kadasified’ (laughs). It is our slang. We are the ‘kadasified’ kadasians,’ we have this slogan that we are the pride of Kaduna. To all Kada City fans, I am proud of you. Part of our motto is too keep up a good reputation; I urge you to keep up this good reputation. Live in peace and happiness, regardless of our differences. I am proud of you. We are achieving our social goals because today, we relate well with each other no matter where we come from; Igala, Fulani and so forth. Again, I am proud of you. God bless you and your families, I love you.
Bellsnews: Thank you for granting us this time.
QK: You are welcome
We are also proud of you Queen KADA CITY FC.