Sports

Play by the rules, avoid violence – NLO charges clubs

Published

5 years ago

April 7, 2021

Ahead of the Nationwide League One (NLO) division two season that kicks off this weekend across the federation, Mohammed Alkali, chairman of the third-tier league body in Nigeria has charged the clubs to play by the rules and avoid any form of violence.

Alkali made this known while briefing the media on the expectations of the new season from the division two clubs, adding that the quest for promotion among the clubs will be keenly contested and he expects quality football to be on displayed, but devoid of any act that will bring the game to disrepute.

“Everything is set for the division two season which starts this weekend. I know that all the clubs have prepared very well and they want to excel, but they should remember to always play by the rules,” Alkali said.

“We want all the games to be played in a peaceful environment, no rancor or any form of violence among the clubs in the league. This is very important and that is the reason it must be emphasized,” he added.

Flashing back to the recently concluded division one season, Allkai said that the league body was highly impressed with the standard of football displayed at the various league venues and he expects same from the division two clubs.

“To a very large extent, the clubs in division one really tried to raise the standard of the game at all the league venues, which NLO deeply appreciated.

“When you consider the fact that division two clubs wants to take a step forward by gaining promotion, I expect quality football from these clubs.

“Nevertheless, the clubs should know that it is not a do or die affair. Winning, losing or drawing games are all part of football, but the most important thing is to play by the rules and maintain the integrity of the game.

“All the clubs that will participate in division two season of the NLO are not ignorant of the rules and regulations set up by the league body to ensure the smooth administration of the game at all the centres.

“Therefore, it is proper for all the clubs to abide by these rules and regulations in order to avoid sanctions,” he concluded.

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Sports

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

Published

20 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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