Sports

Adron Games 2022:Organisers Promises Better, Bigger Edition

Published

4 years ago

August 3, 2022

By Akeem Busari

Organisers of the annual Adron Games, have disclosed plans to make this year’s event which is the 6th edition of the multi sports and entertainment event, more glamorous and memorable.

This much was disclosed at a press parley held at the corporate office of Adron Homes and Property Limited, who are the sponsor of the fastest growing corporate grassroots sports festival in the country.

This year’s event which is equally aimed at celebrating the tenth anniversary of the leading Real Estate and Property Development Company, is themed, ‘The Fit Are The Best.’

Speaking during the parley, the Director-General, Business Strategy of the company, Mr. Ayodeji Ojo-Omoniyi said this year’s event would feature track and field events for Adron workers, landlords, home owners, Adron contractors, tertiary students, as well as partners of the company.

He said, “At Adron Homes and Properties, we’re always showcasing grassroots talents since we started the games six years ago.
“This year, the games would feature 18 track and field events including football, volleyball, basketball, shotput, long jump, tug-of-war and we are also introducing hurdles. We are excited that Tobi Amusan placed Nigeria on the global map with her feat at the World Athletics Championship in Oregon, USA.

“We might just discover another Tobi Amusan this year,” he enthused further.

In his own remarks, ex-Nigeria international player and CEO of Match International Limited, who are the Technical Consultant for the games, Waidi Akanni, was quick to praise and thank the Group Managing Director of Adron Homes and Property Limited, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, for his unflinching commitment to the development of sports in the country, as well as his socio-economic empowerment of the Nigerian youth.

Akanni, a former Lagos FA Chairman, went on to disclose that this event which is expected to hold at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, between November 10-12, 2022, would have more iconic sports and entertainment personalities turning up as the game’s ambassadors.

Since inception, the games had featured track and field queens, ex-internationals,as well as celebrities as ambassadors including Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, Mutiu Adepoju, Samson Siasia, Austin Eguavoen, Peter Rufai, Aisha Falode, Daniel Amokachi and dance instructor and fitness coach Kaffy.

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Sports

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

Published

18 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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