Sports

20th National Sports Festival: SWAN applauds Sports Minister

Published

5 years ago

April 21, 2021

Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has applauded the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare for his contributions to the development of the sector since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The body under the leadership of Comrade Ahmed Aigbona after its virtual meeting in a statement said the minister and the Edo State government deserved applauses after the just concluded National Sports Festival held in Edo state despite the challenges in the country.

In the communiqué signed by its deputy president, Malam Ado Salisu, Vice president North Central, Mr Emmanuel Ujah and Secretary General, Mike Oboh stated that the body was not part of a factional group which claimed that Mr. Dare was not media friendly as he has exhibited since his appointment to be on the same page with sports journalists across the country.

It also passed a vote of confidence on the Sports Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare for his efforts in managing the crisis that erupted during the game due to the demand of the host state to get some financial relief from the Federal Government.

SWAN stated that the claim by the group formed in Port Harcourt under one permanent secretary in the Rivers state cannot hold water as it was laced with blackmail, as SWAN affiliated to the Nigeria Union of Journalists will continue to strive with the sports minister in repositioning sports development in the country as he has displayed since assumption of office.

It stated that it was clear from their claim that the 20^th National Sports Festival held in Benn city the Edo Capital, was the worst ever hosted by any state as statement of falsehood despite the festival witnessed the attendance of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with the best of sports facilities in venues were the games were held despite the COVID 19 pandemic.

SWAN also noted that the minister’s relationship with the sporting press cannot be damaged by few individuals who are masquerading as sports journalists in the country to soil the working relationship between the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development and Edo State government

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

21 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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