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| Boniface |
Bessy Boniface plays female
soccer for the Ibom Angels in
Akwa Ibom State. Born with both male and female organs, doctors confirmed that
she has 85 per cent female and 15 per cent male organs. Currently, she is
having an identity crisis and lacking the confidence to call herself either a
man or woman.
She is a hermaphrodite.
The former Delta Queens
striker was thrown out of the Falconets camp before the Chile 2008 FIFA U-20
Women’s World Cup when the coaches discovered they had a player that could not
pass for a complete woman.
To compound Bessy’s woes,
she was duped in 2010 by those who pretended to be raising funds for her to
have a corrective surgery oversees.
Speaking with SunSports, in
an emotion-laden voice, the Akwa- Ibom State born footballer, currently nursing
a fractured knee injury , said she longs to have a family of her own and had
made frantic efforts to get the attention of Akwa Ibom State First Lady but to
no avail.
“I have been going through
a traumatic time and it has not been easy coping with the situation,” Boniface
began. “Through the help of some people, I have tried severally to see if I can
get the attention of my state government. This has not been successful.
The last effort I made, I
was advised to write a letter and send it via DHL to the governor’s office.
When I enquired about the procedure, I was told that to send a letter through
DHL will cost N10,000, which I could not afford. As the breadwinner of my
family, it has been tough making ends meet. Throughout last year I did not play
with my Club Ibom Angels because of the injury I sustained.”
Continuing, Bessey said:
“My wish is to get married and raise a family of my own , but I cannot have it
because of this situation. whom do I run to?Where will my help come from?
Doctors have told me that I’m 85 per cent woman. I need the help of Nigerians
to come out of my nasty condition. I plead with them to help me raise some
money for an operation to correct my condition.” Ironically, she said her
younger sister, Monica Boniface, her status has affected her sexual life
as she has no boy friend.
“Intimate relationship with
men? Truth be told, I don’t have any boyfriend. I long to have a relationship
with men but I cannot because of this issue. It is a very embarrassing one.
How do you explain to a man that you have both organs, which man will stand
such a situation?. However, I believe that God will not let me waste away like
this. I believe that Nigerians will listen to my case and plea and come to my
assistance. I pray that God will touch their hearts to come to my rescue,” she
cried.
Ekaete, as her team mates
fondly call her, in the 2007 women’s league season, scored a total of 12 goals
for Delta Queens – seven in the League, three in the Challenge Cup and two in
the Super Four.
Meanwhile, it would be
recalled that a similar problem ended Iyabo Abade’s career with the Super
Falcons, when it was discovered that she had both male and female organs. She
returned from a successful operation in the United States as a man and
immediately changed her name to James Johnson. Like Iyabo, Bessy must undergo
surgery to either remain a woman or launch herself into the men’s world.