Sports

Over 150 foreign, Nigerians Elites runners set for Abuja Int. Marathon Tomorrow

Published

3 years ago

April 28, 2023

… $110,000, other prizes up for grab
Joel Ajayi

The much-awaited first ever Abuja Marathon will take place Tomorrow Saturday 29th April 2023 in the Nigeria’s capital city where $110,000 will be won in male and female $55,000 each.

The runners which include 32 international 120 elites Nigerian athletes.

The Abuja International Marathon tomorrow will be in three categories, the 5km Student Race, the 10 km Family Run and the 42.195 Full Marathon.

Speaking at the world press briefing on Friday in Abuja, the Director of Sports in FCT Lukas Itsfanus speaking on behalf of FCT Administration said the nation capital city is ready to host Abuja international Marathon that all Nigerians will be proud of.

According to him, this is the first time we are doing this, we are looking for the support of everyone to the success of the program.

“I want to assure you that, we are going to have a lot pleasant moment In Abuja.”

Speaking on the Benefits of Marathon to runners and citizen Mrs Joyce Bozimo, said marathon is an enduring race, it’s like journey of life that need endurance before making it in life.

Marathon race is beyond religious, it’s beyond political party that is why marathon give a very good health, it promote peaceful co-existence, it promote tourism and a lot of benefits that that is the aim of the Marathon race in FCT.

On his own, the Race Director Olukayode Thomas highlighted the Marathon route.
According to him, the full Marathon, the 42 kilometers race event will commence 6:00am at City gate and terminate at eagles square.

“The Student/Children 5km race will start 6:15am from Zone 4 bridge/ Sani Abacha bridge and end at Eagles Square.
“While the 10km Family fun race Start at Wuye bridge and terminate at Eagles Square.”

While giving the hint on the the number of athletes expect to take part in tomorrow even, Coach Gabriel Okon said the the elite runners include 32 international 120 elites Nigerian athletes.

However, the foreign countries include Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Bahrain.

Meanwhile, An Artist know as Reekado Banks will be performing live at the Abuja International Marathon’s Finish point the Eagle Square car park.

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Sports

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

Published

6 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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