Sports

2020 Olympic: Team Nigeria Gets Presidential Send Forth

Published

5 years ago

July 12, 2021

The Gleamer

…Go and Make Nigeria Proud-FG

…New Kits Unveiled

Joel Ajayi

With just 10 day to the commencement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Nigerians have been assured of an impressive outing by Team Nigeria.

Speaking during the Unveiling of Team Nigeria kits and handing over of the athletes to the Nigerian Olympic committee at the State House Abuja on Monday, Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare said “As you all are aware, the preparations for the Olympics and Paralympics began long before the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the organizers of both events to postpone the Games to 23 July and 24 August 2021, respectively. These athletes will be flying the colours of our great country, Nigeria, in Tokyo in the coming days.”

“I want to use this opportunity to sincerely thank Mr. President and the members of the National Assembly for the unwavering support in terms of resources and provision of an enabling environment that made it possible for these athletes to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”

Dare disclosed that Nigeria qualified in Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoeing, Gymnastics, Rowing, Taekwondo, Table Tennis and Wrestling. For the Paralympic Games, Para Powerlifting, Para Athletics, Para Rowing and Para Table-Tennis all qualified. In all, a total of 58 athletes will be competing for glory in the Olympic Games and 22 athletes for the Paralympic Games, respectively.”

He further stated: “In a very clear departure from the past, athletes of Team Nigeria have been in camp for the past two months in an intensive and extensive training program in ensuring that our esteemed athletes are physically fit for the Games. As the team departs for Japan, it will head straight to Kisarazu for another two weeks for the offshore final camping exercise before the commencement of the Tokyo Olympic Games.”

The Minister expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his moral and financial support.

“All these would not have been possible without the support of Mr. President. I want to assure you that with the pedigree of the athletes who make up Team Nigeria and the level of preparations, Team Nigeria will not disappoint Nigerians at the Tokyo 2020 Games. All we need is the continuous support and prayers of Nigerians.”

The Minister said the Athletes who were carefully selected have demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism, commitment and discipline, recalling that the Ministry organized close to 90 days of staggered camping in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Yenagoa. A national trials was also organized and an international invitational involving five countries was also held in a concerted effort to ensure Team Nigeria qualifies for Track and field.

“Let me assure you Mr. President Sir, that these Athletes will do Nigeria proud at the Olympics by representing Nigeria well. Many of them have told me personally about their determination to achieve podium success to make Nigeria proud. I have no reason to doubt their commitment. I surely wish them the best.”

In the same vein, The Federal Government has urged team Nigeria to make the country proud at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with spectacular performance devoid of cheating.

The Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo who represented President Muhammadu Buhari commendd the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare for ensuring a hitch free preparations.

“I commend the Innovative and Hardworking Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare and the entire Staff of the Ministry for developing these stars and enabling Nigeria participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I’m very happy to see the very best of the best Nigerian Athletes representing Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 58 outstanding athletes and 18 World class coaches joining about 258 other countries of the world in the biggest and most spectacular sporting event in the world. We look forward to an exciting outing so that we can attain podium performances.”

Share on Facebook

Sports

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

Published

3 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.

Share on Facebook