Sports

Heartland, Abia Warriors to play Home Fixtures in Aba

Published

3 years ago

January 30, 2024

Heartland of Owerri and Abia Warriors of Umuahia have in separate letters to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) nominated the Enyimba International Stadium as their alternate home ground for the rest of the 2023/24 season.

This is a sequel to the withdrawal of the provisional approval for their home grounds during the club licensing exercise at the start of the season.

The NPFL had in separate letters dated January 16, 2024, to the two clubs, conveyed its discomfort with the state of the playing pitches at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri for Heartland and the Umuahia Township Stadium for Abia Warriors.

“The decision is a result of the poor condition of the playing pitch at the Umuahia Township Stadium.In light of this, we kindly request that Abia Warriors promptly identify and provide an alternate home ground for the remaining matches of the season”, read the letter to Abia Warriors and signed by Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer. A similar letter was also sent to Heartland.

The two clubs in separate replies have now elected to play at the neighbouring Enyimba International Stadium, home ground of Enyimba FC.

While their choices have been accepted by the NPFL, fixtures are to be rearranged to accommodate hosting of three league games at the Aba Stadium.
Owumi told NPFL Media that “we have a mechanism for continuous appraisal of Club Licensing requirements and at any point we find any club defaulting, appropriate remedial measures would be taken”.

Owumi added that a further inspection of the facilities would be carried out before the weekend to ascertain if there has been improvements from what they were at the time of last assessment.

The NPFL season went on mid-season recess after Matchday 19 on. January 20 and will resume on the weekend of February 3-4.

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Sports

VIP Spikers unveil Veronica Gyamfi following successful surgery after career-threatening injury

Published

4 hours ago

October 25, 2026

The Gleamer

VIP Spikers have unveiled Veronica Gyamfi as their player, pledging to support her welfare and recovery after an injury sustained during last season’s CGC Volleyball Premier League.

The unveiling took place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, with Samuel Onikeku, Head of Sports, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), performing the ceremony.

Gyamfi sustained the injury while representing Wikki during last season’s CGC Volleyball Premier League.

In a swift response, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), and the President of Vipers sponsored her surgery at Dala Orthopedic Hospital in Kano, where she spent two weeks receiving medical attention.

Her signing by Vipers and Partners VC, popularly known as VIP Spikers, is expected to provide her with continued care and support as she progresses through recovery and works towards returning to competitive volleyball.

Meanwhile, Gyamfi was presented a brand new ASICS canvas and a branded jersey of VIP Spikers as it is believed she would return to play after completing her rehabilitation.

The intervention reflects the importance of athlete welfare in Nigerian sports, particularly the need to ensure that players who sustain injuries while representing their teams receive appropriate medical attention and rehabilitation support.

The sponsorship of Gyamfi’s surgery by the Comptroller-General, followed by her signing by VIP Spikers, highlights the potential impact of collaboration between sports authorities, competition sponsors and clubs in safeguarding athletes’ careers.

After the surgery Gyamfi has been undergoing physiotherapy sessions at the 44 Military Reference hospital in Kaduna as the Sporting Club is supporting her education at Kaduna State Polytechnic.

Gyamfi’s story offers an encouraging example of support for an athlete facing a difficult period in her career.

Her unveiling reinforces the message that volleyball development goes beyond competitions and trophies to include protecting players’ welfare and helping them return to the sport they love.

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