August 09, (THEWILL) – Not long after domestic football was hit with the passing away of former President of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Brigadier-General Dominic Obukadata Oneya, there has been another loss as the Imo State Football Association (FA) announced the death of Tessy Nwoke, the chairperson of Heartland Queens Football Club.
Her death was said to have occurred in Owerri on Sunday, an unfortunate eventuality for the club as they lose a Chairperson, who took the reins of leadership to bring about progress.
Upon assumption of office, she had tasked players and officials of Heartland Queens to recommit themselves to moving the club from obscurity to the Premier league.
A journalist by profession, the late Nwoke hailed from Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State and had only begun to implement the structural and adminstrative processes necessary to bring about her objective of lifting the Heartland Queens club to prominence before her untimely end.
Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam, the Chairman of the Imo FA, gave evidence of this when he noted that until her demise, Nwoke as the Chairperson of the Heartland Queens worked round the clock to ensure the team was in good shape to compete on an equal footing with the best in the league.
Uchegbulam insisted that the late Chairperson had immensely contributed to the current stability of Heartland Queens and to the improvements that have taken place since her elevation to the status. Yet, Nwoke still had plans to improve the team further.
That was one of the reasons her demise was so deeply painful and such a huge loss to the football community in the state, in particular, and the entire domestic football, in general because as the FA Chairman noted, she passed on just when her presence and desire to reposition the state’s female football club was needed most.
Uchegbulam prayed for the repose of Nwoke’s soul while praying that the family will be granted the fortitude to bear the loss of an esteemed member of their family who had such a promising future ahead of her.
Arrangements for the obsequies have not been made public but will be as soon as Nwoke’s family releases the details and relevant dates, according to the Imo FA.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
