Sports

Iyaye Showers Encomium On Obuah Over Support For Rivers United

Published

6 years ago

March 23, 2021

… Team Gets N2m To Defeat Enyimba In Aba

Rivers Sports Commissioner, Boma Iyaye has showered encomiums on the founder of Go-Round Football Club and sports philanthropist, Bro Felix Obuah over his continued support to Rivers United.

According to him, Bro Obuah’s actions are testimonies of genuine love for sports development and particularly, for the State government-owned Rivers United.

Rivers United has benefitted from Obuah’s financial promises after he tasked the team to win matches in the ongoing CAF Confederation Cup and get rewarded.

Iyaye gave the commendation at Omoku, Rivers State when he led a team that included the Permanent Secretary, Sir Honour Sirawoo; officials and players of Rivers United, supporters club, amongst others, on a thank you visit to Obuah.

The commissioner described Obuah’s gesture as unparalleled in the history of the state, stressing that outside the Rivers State Government, no other individual has done that much for the team.

He seized the opportunity to laud Governor Wike, whom he said recently donated a 54-seater luxurious bus to Rivers United in line with his undiluted support for the Club; emphasizing that with such a support-base, the team have no other choice but to make Rivers people proud.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Sir Honour Sirawoo commended Bro Obuah for his exemplary commitment to the cause of Rivers people, pointing out that his efforts for the team would not be in vain.

Sir Sirawoo stressed that though, the Rivers State government was providing all necessary support for the club, encouragement from well-spirited Rivers people will serve as a further tonic.

The General Manager of Rivers United, Okey Kpalukwu, Technical Manager, Stanley Eguma, team Captain, Festus Austin, and chairman, Rivers United Supporters Club, Franklin Owhor, all praised the uncommon love for the team by Obuah.

Responding, Bro Felix Obuah commended the Rivers State Governor and Power of Sports (POS) Africa, Barr Nyesom Wike for giving the team all required support to excel so far in the continent and local league.

While downplaying his gesture to the team, he stressed that he was just doing it out of his love for good football, stressing that the team is a reflection of the unity that the State should continue to enjoy and therefore needed to be encouraged.

He tasked the team to do all within its powers to win the CAF Confederation Cup for the State and country, with the belief that the government will reward them, knowing the antecedents of Governor Wike.

He announced the sum of N2m should the team defeat Enyimba in Aba, as well as N200,000 for each goal scored.

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Sports

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

Published

20 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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