Sports

SPORTS OFFICIALS MEET TO APPRAISE DELTA 2022.

Published

4 years ago

December 10, 2022

As the 21st National Sports Festival tagged “Delta 2022” sets to end tomorrow, Saturday, December 10, 2022, members of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), Directors of Sports from the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as well as other officials have met to appraise the successes and challenges experienced during the festival.

The interactive session which took place today at the Football House Asaba, the Delta State Capital is the last to be held by the sports officials for the current edition of the competition

The Secretary,
MOC and Director, National Sports Festival and Para Sports Department of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Peter Nelson stated that “the interactive session was one of the routine meetings of every National Sports Festival usually held by officials to review the challenges, strengths and day to day activities in connection with the games and welfare of athletes as well as officials in all the sporting venues”

He added that the Festival like many other sporting events worldwide, had its challenges here and there, but that for the quick and prompt intervention of the host State Delta, such challenges were resolved without much delay.

The MOC Secretary stated further that the hosting of the 21st National Sports Festival was one of the best in recent times and that Delta State Government deserved commendation of all sports loving Nigerians, especially with the short time they had to prepare for the Games.

“Permit me at this juncture on behalf of the Honourable Minister, Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, my Permanent Secretary and Chairman MOC, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, thank the Delta State Government, Local Organising Committee, Commissioners of Sports, Directors -General and Chief Executives of Sports Commissions, Directors of Sports from the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal CapitalTerritory, Abuja, Members of the MOC, all sports stakeholders and the media for their contribution towards the successful hosting of this Festival”.

Also speaking, the Director-General, Delta State Sports Commission, Mr Chris Anazia thanked the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, top Management Staff of Ministry and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration in particular, for the opportunity given to the state to host the Games.

He called on the athletes to leverage on the opportunities provided for them by the Government to develop their sporting potentials beyond the festival so as to be able to compete favourably with their counterparts globally.

Share on Facebook

Sports

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

Published

5 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