Sports
President Tinubu’s Commitment to Sports Development Delivering Results at the Grassroots Level — NSC Chief Olopade
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for transformative grassroots sports development is already yielding tangible results, citing the introduction of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) at the National Sports Festival as a prime example.
Hon. Olopade stated that grassroots sports development is a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE), with the President giving full backing to the Commission’s efforts.
“We understand that the foundation of our sports renaissance is an intentional priority to the grassroots cadre of our sports pyramid, and this is why the IJA project is very dear to the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and myself,” he said.
He noted that the inclusion of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) as the “38th state” at the National Sports Festival in Ogun State is set to be a game changer, aimed at building a steady pipeline of top talent for major international competitions.
“The Commission has also been able to send about 19 different national teams out for various international competitions thanks to the kind of financial backing and support we are getting from Mr President,” he added.
“Fortunately, many of these teams have returned to the country excelling—boosting the image and bragging rights of our country on the international stage.”
The Director General highlighted impressive breakthroughs in sports where Nigeria previously had little visibility.
“We are now also beginning to excel in sports that Nigeria was never known for before, like the performance of the Nigeria U19 Cricket team at the World Cup in Malaysia where Nigeria finished 5th in the world.”
“And just recently, Nigeria’s young swimmer Abdul Tabur Adama shone at the Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Egypt where he won gold and set two new records in the 50 meters. We also had successes in sports like badminton with Eniola Bolaji at the World Para-Tournament in Spain, wrestling in Morocco, weightlifting in Mauritius, just to mention but a few.”
The two time Ogun State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development concluded by reaffirming that these achievements are only possible due to the humongous support from His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who remains deliberate about the vital role sports plays in delivering the broader Renewed Hope Mandate for the country.
Sports
Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney
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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