Sports

‘Coming at the Right Time’ – NFF Endorses Girls Play Sports Football Tournament

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2024

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed its full support for the Girls Play Sports Football Tournament, an initiative birthed by the Honorable Ayo Omidiran and organized under the auspices of the Ayomidiran Foundation.

During a courtesy call by the Tournament’s Organizing Committee to the NFF Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Secretary General Dr. Sanusi Mohammed, representing NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, stressed the significance of the tournament.

Dr. Sanusi stated, “The NFF, under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, is committed to making it mandatory for all Premiership clubs to establish women’s football teams. This initiative comes at the right time for the advancement of women’s football in Nigeria and aligns with its FIFA-funded Talent Development Scheme.”

While hailing Honorable Omidiran on the initiative, the NFF scribe emphasized the importance of perseverance despite criticism, noting, “You’ll face opposition when you start promoting women’s football, but you have to remain focused. Critics may have the loudest voices, but the silent supporters are many. Your next step is to work closely with the NFF Technical Department to ensure the success of this program.”

Honorable Omidiran, CEO and Founder of the Ayomidiran Foundation, expressed her gratitude to the NFF for their support, admitting that, “Organizing a competition like this would not be complete without the official recognition and backing of the NFF. The Ayomidiran Foundation has always been dedicated to the development of women, particularly through sports. Football has opened many doors for young girls, and it is essential to provide them with opportunities to excel.”

She continued, “We aim to identify and nurture talent at the grassroots level. With technical teams at every center, we can spot potential and guide these girls towards professional careers. Our project, GIRLS PLAY SPORTS, starts with football, but we plan to expand into other sports like athletics. Our ultimate goal is to enable girls to pursue sports as a means of livelihood, contributing to the pool of professional players.”

The two-time House of Representatives member also emphasized the social and economic impacts of the event, saying, “This tournament is not just about sports; it aims to take girls off the streets and away from social vices, including violence.

“Many of our girls playing football internationally are now the breadwinners for their families. We want to encourage more girls to see sports as a viable career path. By the end of this tournament, we hope to have opened new opportunities for many young girls.”

The Girls Play Sports Football Tournament promises to be a significant step towards the development of women’s football in Nigeria, with the strong backing of the NFF and the passion of the organizers.

Share on Facebook

Sports

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

Published

2 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.

Share on Facebook