Sports

GFN President Dismisses Election Cancellation, Hails Tinubu and NSC Leadership

Published

1 year ago

September 24, 2025

Joel Ajayi

The President-elect of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria (GFN), Prince Kelvin Erhunwmunse, has strongly refuted a recent press statement from the National Sports Commission (NSC) which listed the GFN among federations scheduled to hold fresh elections on October 18, 2025.

While speaking to Journalists on the issued on Wednesday in Abuja, Prince Kelvin described the inclusion of GFN in the NSC’s directive as a “clear error”, emphasizing that the federation’s elections were duly held on September 6, 2025, in full compliance with its constitution, and with the oversight of relevant stakeholders.

> “This is to inform the Gymnastics family, the sporting community, and the general public that the press statement from the NSC, announcing a new election date for the GFN, must have been made in error,” said Prince Kelvin.

He added that the September 6 election was free, fair, and transparent, with all constitutional processes observed, and has since received widespread recognition and validation.

And Follow the successful conclusion of the election, congratulatory messages were received from: The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The African Gymnastics Union (UAG). The Azerbaijan Gymnastics FederationOther critical international and regional stakeholders

Prince Kelvin used the opportunity to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing competent professionals to lead Nigerian sports, specifically praising: Alhaji Shehu Dikko, Chairman, National Sports Commission. Chief Bukola Olopade, Director General, NSC

“President Tinubu’s decision to appoint seasoned sports administrators like Alhaji Shehu Dikko and Chief Bukola Olopade was not a mistake. These are individuals with decades of experience, and their presence is already reshaping the landscape of Nigerian sports,” he said.

Prince Kelvin, however, expressed concern over what he described as the influence of “fifth columnists”—individuals within ministries and parastatals who, he claims, are working behind the scenes to sabotage well-intentioned reforms.
“Regrettably, there are always shadowy figures in every institution who seek to derail progress.

Unfortunately, the sports sector is not exempt. The press release in question appears to be one of their ploys and should be disregarded in totality,” he asserted.

Reaffirming the legitimacy of the GFN board, Prince Kelvin assured stakeholders that the federation is currently working closely with the NSC leadership to clarify and normalize the situation.

“The GFN elections were conducted in line with our constitution as approved by FIG and under the directives of the NSC. We remain confident in the support of the NSC leadership and are in active communication to address any misunderstandings.”

He urged all stakeholders to remain calm and focused on the ongoing development of gymnastics in Nigeria.

The Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria maintains that its board was duly elected, legally constituted, and internationally recognized, and as such, the call for a re-election is unnecessary and unfounded.

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Sports

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

Published

32 mins 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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