Sports

Agbonifo lauds Amb Olutoke for reposition Handball in FCT

Published

5 years ago

May 5, 2022

A member of the FCT Handball Association, Mr Richard Agbonifo has lauded the pragmatic leadership initiatives of the Chairman of the board, Ambassador Dr Edward Olutoke in repositioning handball in the Federal Capital Territory.

Mr Agbonifo who stated this while interacting with newsmen in Abuja ahead of the commencement of the 2022 FCT U-12/U-15 Inter-Area Council Handball Championship, noted that the coming on board of the FCT Handball Association current board is a sign of great things to come for the sport.

“What he is doing is something new in handball. When I was in Germany, I was told he is renovating the Handball Court in Area 10. I was surprised because the Handball Court have been there, abandoned for over 30 years. I was there when they started building the place, when nothing was there. When I came in and saw what he did, I was very very impressed.

“Of course there are still a lot of things to be done but we need to start from somewhere. When I met him, I saw the passion which he has for the sport and that also encourages me to also want to do something with the foundation in handball.

“The Chairman is a leader when it comes to doing what he is doing and I am honoured to be part of a board that is going to do something new in handball in Abuja.

“I am also happy that we have people in the board (FCT Handball Association) who are pushing and motivating me so that when we start like this, other people will also start supporting handball. We have lots of talented handballers in this country but because there is nobody who is helping them to succeed, their stars failed to shine,” he said.

Barely three years in the helm of affairs of FCT Handball, Amb. Olutoke have overseen the establishment of the first Handball Supporters Club in the history of handball in the country – The FCT Handball Supporters Club; remodeling and renovation of the FCT Handball Court as well as organisation of the grassroots competition, the 2022 FCT U-12/U-15 Inter-Area Council Handball Championship for both male and female.

Unlike the 2021 edition that had only 4 teams, this edition, which started on Wednesday, have 20 teams to vie for honours and crowns.

The overall best player of the tournament will receive university scholarship to study his or her choice of course in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN.

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Sports

Drogba, Amuneke, Eguavoen Lead African Legends’ Arrival in Lagos

Published

21 hours ago

November 7, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

With just one day to the much-anticipated Legends of Africa Football Game, Ivorian football icon Didier Drogba has arrived in Lagos, joining an impressive assembly of former African internationals already in the city ahead of Sunday’s star-studded encounter.

Drogba’s arrival further heightens anticipation for the game, which will bring together some of the continent’s most celebrated football figures at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.

Also in Lagos are Nigerian football greats Mobi Oparaku, Emmanuel Amuneke, Emmanuel Babayaro, Garba Lawal, Austin Eguavoen and Mutiu Adepoju, alongside other members of the legendary Super Eagles generations of 1994 and 1996.

The African contingent also features distinguished names including Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor, Senegal’s El-Hadji Diouf, Ghana’s Stephen Appiah and Cameroon’s Rigobert Song, among other former international stars.

The excitement will extend beyond the legends’ reunion, with popular Nigerian entertainers and celebrities preparing for a special Celebrity Match as part of the event. Yhemolee, Sheggz, Jeriq, Teddy A and Charles Okocha are among the personalities set to feature in the celebrity fixture, scheduled to begin at 1:30pm.

The Celebrity Match will form part of a wider programme of activities designed to give fans a full day of football, entertainment and celebration before the main legends’ fixture, which kicks off at 5pm. Gates open at 1:30pm.

Organized by Toptier Sports Management in collaboration with Afreximbank and CANEX as part of CANEX WKND 2026, the game will feature 15 Nigerian legends taking on 13 African icons in a celebration of the players whose achievements helped shape the history of football on the continent.

Beyond the match, the programme includes a football clinic involving 500 young players, entertainment and special recognition for the heroes of African football.

The Legends of Africa Football Game promises a memorable gathering of football royalty, bringing together generations of fans to celebrate the enduring legacy of the continent’s finest players.

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