Sports
Foreign-Based Pugilists Storm Camp as National Boxing Week Opens Commonwealth Games Qualifiers
Joel Ajayi
The Nigeria Boxing Federation has confirmed the arrival of several foreign-based Nigerian boxers ahead of the maiden edition of National Boxing Week, as the countdown begins to the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualifiers.
National Boxing Week, scheduled to hold from March 1–6, 2026, at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex, National Stadium, Lagos, will host the National Open Trials to select Team Nigeria’s representatives for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The week-long event is being organized in alignment with the merit-driven reforms championed by the National Sports Commission.
The arrival of diaspora athletes in addition to Nigeria-based boxers signals growing confidence in the Federation’s renewed commitment to transparency, fairness, and global competitiveness. The National Open Trials will provide an equal platform for both home-based and foreign-based boxers to compete for the right to wear the green and white.
Vice President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation, Omonlei Imadu, described the development as a positive turning point for the sport.
“This is a new era for Nigerian boxing. The fact that our foreign-based athletes are returning home to compete speaks volumes about the credibility of the process we are building. Selection for the Commonwealth Games will be fierce, but it will be fair and strictly based on merit,” he said.
The trials will feature ten weight categories across men’s and women’s divisions. Affiliated clubs, state associations, institutions, and eligible Nigerian boxers worldwide are expected to present one boxer per weight category, ensuring a truly national and inclusive competition.
Beyond the ring, National Boxing Week will serve as a holistic platform for reform and development. Activities will include a joint seminar for referees and coaches, orientation sessions for athletes focused on discipline and professionalism, and stakeholder engagements aimed at strengthening the domestic boxing ecosystem.
In a landmark modernization effort, the Federation will also unveil new digital initiatives, including an automated licensing system and enhanced digital governance infrastructure to improve transparency, athlete management, and administrative efficiency.
National Boxing Week will also celebrate the legacy of Nigerian boxing legend Hogan “Kid” Bassey, whose contributions brought global recognition to the country and continue to inspire a new generation of champions.
The National Boxing Week promises to be a defining chapter in the resurgence of Nigerian boxing, blending history, reform, competition, and national pride into a landmark event.
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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