The Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF) will bring hundreds of girls together in Lagos on Saturday, October 10, for its fifth Female Taekwondo Empowerment Championship, using sport to promote girls’ rights, personal safety, confidence and leadership ahead of the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
According to a press release issued by YEF, the championship will be held at the National Stadium, Surulere, bringing together young female athletes to compete and participate in conversations addressing challenges affecting girls.
The initiative aims to demonstrate how sports can empower girls beyond the classroom by equipping them with self-defence skills, building their confidence and creating safe spaces to discuss gender-based violence (GBV), harmful gender norms, menstrual health and hygiene, and girls’ rights.
“Too often, we talk about girls as people who need to be rescued or fixed. Our girls are athletes, leaders and changemakers already. What they need are spaces where that is taken seriously,” YEF spokesperson Tony Eleme said.
The Saturday competition will feature senior girls competing in Kyorugi (sparring) and Poomsae (technical patterns), while junior girls will participate in Kyorugi.
YEF said the championship combines sporting competition with discussions designed to help girls address safety concerns and harmful social expectations without shame.
Since its inception in 2022, the initiative has attracted more than 1,000 young female martial artists from across Nigeria. Previous editions were held in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja and Benin City.
The 2026 edition is organised in partnership with the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lagos State Taekwondo Association, Development Communications Network, Fitness Konnections and The KB KLUB, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
YEF, a Nigerian non-profit established in 1995, urged government agencies, development partners, corporate organisations, media houses, sports bodies, parents and coaches to support girls’ participation in sports and youth development.
The foundation stressed that investing in girls should extend beyond school fees and textbooks to include opportunities to develop confidence, leadership and personal safety skills.
It said grassroots sports could help girls recognise their potential and become active contributors to their communities and the country.
Source: Sports Archives – New Telegraph
