Sports

FG To Nurture Talents Discovered At The National Youth Games

Published

3 years ago

October 18, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Federal Government has expressed its determination to ensure the development of athletes discovered from the recently concluded 7th Edition of the National Youth Games held in Asaba, the Delta State Capital.

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh disclosed this today in his office at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja during an interactive session with the Federal Directors of Sports

He stated that nurturing the young talents discovered during the games to the elite stage was one of the primary objectives of the government in establishing the Competition.

Senator Owan Enoh explained that the Games was designed not only to enhance and elevate sports globally and regionally, but also to establish a standard for athletes’ succession from one generation to another and also enable for their participation in community development as well as reinvigorate national unity and collaboration amongst them.

He informed that strategic and deliberate efforts will soon be unfolded by the Ministry to drive the implementation of the programme.

The Minister assured that under his watch, the Ministry will ensure the grooming of these talents for a seamless transition to elite stage so as to enable for growth path of new champions that will represent the country both at local and international competitions

Senator Owan Enoh stated that when young talents are discovered during national competitions, it becomes imperative that a timely and strategic arrangement must be immediately put in place to ensure their exposure to more coaching as well as facilities and infrastructure that will equip them for more podium appearances.

The Minister noted that if given the needed training and encouragement, Nigerian athletes were capable of being counted among one of the best globally because of their potentials in the field of sports.

He stated further that these budding athletes should not left to themselves but rather groomed into professionalism in their various field of sports.

*If we are able to show what we have been able to do with these discovered talents before the next National Youths Games, it will inspire confidence and buy-in by Nigerians and relevant stakeholders,” the Minister said.

He therefore charged the Directors to bring their wealth of experience to bear in ensuring the realization of this policy objective

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary Overseeing the Ministries of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, assured that the Ministry will ensure the full implementation of the initiatives, policies and programmes of government, especially those that will drive the development of our athletes’ right from the grassroots.

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Sports

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

Published

9 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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