Nwankwo Kanu, a former Super Eagles captain, has shed light on the ‘Enugu Walk For Life’, an event organised by Kanu Heart Foundation (KHF) slated for Thursday, September 29, starting from the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, Completesports.com reports.
The exercise tagged ‘Keep The Heart Beating’ is being organised by the Kanu Heart Foundation to celebrate the 2022 World Heart Day.
The UNICEF Ambassador and FIFA/CAF Legend exclusively told Completesports.com Tuesday afternoon that the KHF is aiming to create awareness of the functions of the heart, stressing that many people hold the erroneous impression that they are ‘healthy simply because they are alive’.
“Kanu Heart Foundation, KHF, is partnering WHO to celebrate World Heart Day,” starts the former Arsenal forward when Completesports.com called him up Tuesday afternoon.
“This is an annual event. We’ve held it in Lagos, and the last edition was held in Abuja.
“This time, we thought it wise to bring it down to the South-East and Enugu becomes the obvious choice because it’s the center of the South Eastern part of the country.
“We are trying to create awareness on the workings of the heart. Many people think they are healthy just because they are alive.
“So we decided to let them know the importance of exercise to the heart, hence the ‘Enugu Walk For Life Kanu Heart Foundation’ exercise.
It would be recalled that following his transfer to Italian Serie A side, Inter Milan in 1996 after leading Nigeria’s U23s to win the Olympic Soccer gold in Atlanta, Georgia, Papilo was diagnosed with a heart defect by Inter medics.
This prompted the first ever known heart surgery by a Nigerian and African footballer at Cleveland Hospital, USA.
Thereafter, the Nigerian floated the now famous Kanu Heart Foundation, KHF, in 2000, through which he has facilitated successful heart surgeries for over 480 persons, including kids, youths, and adults of both sexes.
The success of such surgeries and their huge financial implications compelled Kanu to moot the idea of floating a heart hospital in Abuja and has acquired land to that effect.
Quite a lot of celebrities have signed up for the Enugu Walk For Life program.
“Aside from the importance of exercises like walking, to the effective functioning of the heart, it’s also important for people to know the status of their hearts”, the UEFA Champions League winner with Ajax Amsterdam, in 1995, added.
“To this effect, we are also organising heart tests for participants.
“The medical screening will be conducted by medical experts from the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu,” Kanu explained.
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