After six games in the NPFL and NWFL, Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens both sit at the top of their groups in the men's and women's leagues.
Bendel Insurance and its female side Edo Queens, have both been enrolled into a Health Insurance Scheme by their owners, the Edo State government, as part of ways to improve the welfare of both clubs.
The enrollment into the health scheme took place on Tuesday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium with players, officials, and backroom personnel from both clubs participating in the exercise.
Like many clubs in Nigeria, Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens are owned by their state government, meaning that all administrative decisions for the clubs come from them.
Players react happily to the move
According to reports, the state government aimed to improve the welfare standards of both Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens.
Upon completion of the documentation and data collection procedures, players of both sides reacted excitedly, calling the enrollment for the players' and staff, 'a motivation'.
"Whether on duty or not, we can now access health facilities without thinking of looking for big amounts of money for treatment," Bendel Insurance's captain Maurice Prince said.
"Let me thank Edo State Government and our management for all they have been doing for us. They have always taken care of our medicals before now so, enrolling us on the Health Insurance scheme means they have extended the facility to capture our families."
"The scheme is of great advantage and benefits to us. We promise we will reciprocate the kind gesture in the field of play and remain loyal," Edo Queens captain Onyebuchi Ihuoma Goodness added.
Insurance, Queens both lead in individual leagues
After six games in the 2023 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Bendel Insurance sits top of Group A, having gotten 16 points from a possible 18.
Likewise, Edo Queens sit at the top of their group: B, in the 2022/23 Nigeria Women's Football League (NWFL), with 12 points, after six women's league matches.
Their next league fixtures will see Bendel Insurance travel to Ibadan to take on Shooting Stars, while Edo Queens take a break from action when the women's league returns on Wednesday.
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