- Title: NIGERIA: TENNIS: Williams sisters back women's rights in Africa
- Date: 31st October 2012
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (OCTOBER 31, 2012) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) VARIOUS OF FEDERAL PALACE HOTEL WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS SEATED BANNER READING: "VENUS AND SERENA LIVE IN LAGOS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) VENUS WILLIAMS, TENNIS CHAMPION, SAYING: "It's been great to come here for such a wonderful initiative of Breaking the Mould, I think that Serena and I and my family and my mum, my sisters and I are looking forward to learning from the women in Nigeria and we're also looking forward to meeting so many of them and continuing to make such a difference, I think this is such a great event." VARIOUS JOURNALISTS AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERENA WILLIAMS, WORLD NUMBER 3, SAYING: "What makes this trip really special is the fact that we are doing something different, we are here to support the country as well as getting a lot of young women and young kids in general to understand the importance of breaking the mould and we're here to empower young girls and let them know that if you dare to dream, you can achieve any goal you want to and it's okay to have a dream, it's okay to have a goal, it's okay to want to break the mould." JOURNALISTS VENUS AND SERENA LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 15th November 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: International Relations,Politics,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA6ON39W4VADK18DQTPINCTK9LQ
- Story Text: Tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams arrive in Lagos for a four-day visit as part of an African tour aimed at improving women's lives.
US tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams are in Nigeria to back a women's rights organisation campaign called ''Breaking The Mould".
Organisers say the sisters will lend their fame to an iniative designed to inspire women across Africa.
The multiple Grand Slam winners will give a lecture, attend a fund raising dinner and stage an exhibition tennis match against each other during a four day trip to the west African nation.
Older sister Venus, winner of seven Grand Slams, told a news conference: "Serena and I are looking forward to learning from the women in Nigeria."
Serena, who has 18 Grand Slam titles under her belt, said: "We're here to empower young girls and let them know that if you dare to dream, you can achieve any goal you want to and it's okay to have a dream, it's okay to have a goal, it's okay to want to break the mould."
Breaking the Mould organiser Tunji Adeyinka said in a press release: "Breaking The Mould is an inspiring mechanism to help women at various stages of their lives embark on a journey of self-belief so that they know they can achieve anything.
"It will resonate with African women as a whole, who are often the champions of change and encourage more women to do the same." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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