Sports

FG Recieves Young Gymnasts, Lauds them for Podium Performances at World Event

Published

3 years ago

July 26, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Government has commended the junior Gymnasts for their excellent performances that led to the harvest of medals for the country at the just concluded World Gymnastics Championship held in the Republic of Malta.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar who gave the commendation today in his office when he received the young gymnasts who came to present the medals won at the Tournament to him, applauded them for achieving podium performances, clinching 23 medals (8 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze) in different categories of the game.

He commended the Ministry’s officials, Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria as well as the technical crew for their commitment to ensuring the successes recorded at the event.

The Permanent Secretary assured that the Ministry will put all necessary administrative machinery on ground in order to provide the nation’s athletes with the opportunity to showcase their sporting talents with a view to enabling them compete favourably with their counterparts globally.

Alhaji Ismaila further advised parents of the young gymnasts to ensure that their kids remain focused especially in their educational career so as to provide them with a brighter opportunity even as they continue to excel in the field of sports.

Earlier in his remark, the Head Coach of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria and leader of the team, Anthony Asuquo disclosed that seven Junior Gymnasts represented the country among other 15 countries at the Malta Championship
He informed that of the seven, Chiwendu Okpanku was rated as the 3rd best in the world and 1st in the Vault.

Mr. Asuquo commended the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, Top Management Staff of the Ministry and the present Administration in particular, for their commitment to the development of sports in the country, pledging that the Federation will remain committed to ensuring that the country records more podium appearances at future competitions.

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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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