Sports

NOC AGM: Ewrujakpo Emphasises Need For Early Games Preparation

Published

5 years ago

December 16, 2021

His Excellency, Senator Lawrence Ewurujakpo, Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, has called for early preparation for games in Nigeria.

He stated this at the opening ceremony of the Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) in Yenagoa the state capital.

Ewrujakpo thanked the leadership of the NOC for all their efforts at sports development and said the cardinal points of Bayelsa State sports development was working on the areas of strength of their athletes.

“We are happy to welcome all our distinguished guests to Bayelsa State for the AGM. The current President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee was elected here some twenty years ago and we are glad the Olympic family is back to town for its AGM. Like you all know, we capitalise on our area of strength which are Wrestling, Boxing and Swimming and the result is there for everybody to see. Also, we must make it a point of duty to talk less and start early preparations in earnest for every games we participate in to achieve our desired goals.”

The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare who was represented by Mallam Ismaila Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, said the ministry was solidly behind the sports federations and that they will always support all their programmes. Mallam Abubakar reaffirmed the ministry’s partnership and support for the
NOC as they discharge their duties.

In his welcome address, Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel, President, Nigeria Olympic Committee, thanked the Miracle Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri for hosting all the sports stakeholders in his state. He also extended appreciations to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare for his support to the NOC and for the development of sports in Nigeria.

Gumel said the year 2020 was particularly a challenging one indeed, not only for sports but for humanity in general, especially with the sudden outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, which is still ravaging most nations of the world.

“We are therefore grateful to the Almighty God for preserving our lives. There is no doubt
that the Olympic Movement emerged from the trying period of the pandemic even stronger, especially with the eventual staging of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in year 2021.

The President further reminded the new boards of the National Federations, especially those who are yet to have their Constitution/Statutes ratified by their various Congresses and International Federations that the time to restart that process is now. All National Federations must have valid Constitutions, approved by their Congresses and endorsed by their respective International Federations as this is in line with international best practices in sports.

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Sports

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

Published

7 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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