Sports

FCT Agog, As Darts National Open Tournament Commence August 18th

Published

5 years ago

August 13, 2021

Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital City will from Friday, Aug. 18th to Aug. 22th 2020, bubble as Darts athletes across the 36 states including FCT, military and paramilitary clubs will storm the MKO Abiola Stadium in in the federal capita for the 4-day Gbobal Harmony Envoy International Initiatives (GHEII) National Open Championship.

The Darts Federation of Nigeria (DFN), Secretary General of the federation, Etim Udokang, revealed this on Wednesday in Abuja, that the championship would hold from Aug. 18 to Aug. 22.

Udokang advised states and clubs to pay up their 2021 affliction fee ahead of the championship, which would hold at the Velodrome of the National Stadium, Abuja.

He said that the national championship was sponsored by Gbobal Harmony Envoy International Initiatives (GHEII).

According to him, in line with the federation’s approved rules and regulations, only players whose states and clubs have paid the 2021 annual affiliation fee of N20, 000 will be eligible to participate.

“The event is 501 singles for male and female (that is the terminology in Darts game).

“We are expecting six players per state and club, which is three male and three female from the 36 states including FCT, military and paramilitary clubs to participate.

“The championship will help to discover talents that will be used for future international championships.

“The entry fee is N2, 000 per player,” he said.

He said that the championship was aimed at keeping the players in good shapes ahead of the major championships.

“This is the first prestigious darts championship with high cash prize spread from first to eight positions, “he said.

Udokang said that states and clubs would be responsible for the accommodation and transportation of their players.

NAN reports that the prize money for first position is N90, 000, second N70, 000 and third N 50,000 in the male category.

In the female category, the prize is N70, 000 for first position, second N50, 000 and third N30, 000.

(NAN)

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Sports

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

Published

6 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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