Sports

FCT Handball Association Express Shock over Late Coach Hanatu Dada

Published

5 years ago

February 15, 2022

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT Handball Association have described as great shock the passing unto eternal rest of Coach Hanatu Shuaibu Dada

Coach Dada, popularly called “Mama Handball” and a dedicated member of the FCT Handball family, died on Monday, February 14, 2022.

In a press statement, the Chairman of the FCT Handball Association, Ambassador Dr Edward Olutoke described the death of “Mama Handball” as an irreparable loss to the handball family in FCT and Nigeria generally.

He noted that Late Dada was a committed coach, with unblemish record. Lamenting that her death, which was a rude shock to the board have created a vacuum too big to fill.

“I recieved the death of Coach Hanatu Shuaibu Dada with rude shock. It was a devasting news to me and the new board when the secretary informed us of her passing unto eternal rest.

“I did not know her from Adam. In fact, our board was just set up barely a month and within this period I saw a willing individual who was passionate about her job as a coach of the association.

“The first day I met her, I had to make more enquires about her because she captured my attention how she went about her duties within the short period. Very committed and hardworking coach we have lost.

“She was called “Mama Handball” a name she well deserved. If indeed there should be a particular time for her to die, I would say this is not the right time but we cannot question God.

“The board mourns her death and we pray God to grant her soul lasting peace.

“The FCT Handball Association commiserates with the family, FCT sports ministry and the entire handball players across the globe who have lost a wonderful mother.

“The association will wait for the family to announce the burial arrangements before releasing our own activities to celebrate a well spent life,” the Chairman said.

Until her death, Coach Hanatu Shuaibu Dada was the Second Vice Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women in Sports (NAWIS), FCT

Late Coach Hanatu Dada who was a level 14 civil servant with the FCT Ministry, was the coach of the State Handball Team.

Hailed from Plateau State, Late Coach Hanatu Dada was a professional coach with humane disposition to her athletes, fellow coaches and the board of the FCT Handball Association.

She was a giver, helper and builder who sacrificed alot and worked assiduously for the growth of handball in the FCT and Nigeria at large

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Sports

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

Published

9 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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