Sports
Amusan’s Feat ‘II Usher in a New Era for Sports- Abuja International Marathon MD
Joel Ajayi
The Managing Director of Abuja International Marathon (AIM) Zsuzsanna Ogunmiloyo is confident the feat of Team Nigeria hurdler, Tobi Amusan will usher in a new era of positive developments in Nigeria sports, not just athletics.
On Sunday, July 24, on the final day of the World Athletics Championships, in Oregon, USA, Amusan broke the world record of the 100m hurdles, setting a new mark of 12:12 sec in the semi-final, she also won the gold medal in the event in a wind-assisted time of 12.06 sec.
Amusan had earlier broken the African record in the heats to make a statement.
In a press statement signed by AIM Race Director Olukayode Thomas, who also heads Media and Publicity, Ogunmiloyo said Amusan exemplifies what Nigerian youth can achieve if given the opportunities and the enabling environment to excel.
“I have been to most parts of the world, and Nigeria youths rank among the best in the world. Their hunger for education is amazing, while those who are artisanal are always at the top of their game, they are industrious and focused and they work and get things done with little supervision.
“Amusan’s feat is an example of what millions of our youths can achieve if we give more opportunities and create the environment for them to excel not just in sports but other fields of human endeavors”.
Ogunmiloyo revealed that beyond showcasing Abuja’s beauty to the world, encouraging tourism, boosting the economy and the health benefits that come with running, another major aim of the Abuja International Marathon is to assist the youth, especially those from the North who have several similarities with Kenyans and Ethiopians to fulfil their potentials in marathons and long-distance races.
“I sometimes wonder how little we Nigerians know about our country. Many Nigerians are shocked when I tell them that at the time the world record in the marathon was 2:08.00 we had Nigerians running 2:14: 00 like Abass Muhammed and Yohana Waziri and we have women like Hulda Nwokocha competing around the world with the best of the world.
“I am positive that if we had pushed these legends with the resources they needed then Nigerians will be excelling in marathons and long-distance races today the way Kenyans are excelling in sprints, quarter-mile and field events, an area we used to dominate”.
Ogunmiloyo promised to meet Amusan at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and discuss with her how Unicentral Resources Management Limited, the licensee of Abuja International Marathon (AIM), will honour her before going to the media with Unicentral plans for her. Ogunmiloyo is the CEO of Unicentral
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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