Sports

Keep Nigeria’s Flag Flying Higher, FG Tells TIG Gymnasts

Published

3 years ago

July 26, 2023

Joel Ajayi

Federal Government of Nigeria has tasked the Tony’s International Gymnastics club of Abuja not to relent their efforts on promoting the game, to bring more development to more young Gymnasts in the Country and beyond.

The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Abubarkar Ismaila, stated this on Wednesday, in Abuja, when the athletes who went to World Gymnastics Championship in Malta presented their medals to the Government.
It was a great outing for the young Nigerian gymnasts at the just concluded Gymstar International Club World Championship, as they won a total of 23 medals, in far-away Malta.

Eight gymnasts from Tony International Gymnastics (TIG) Club, based in Abuja, took part in the tournament from 8 July to 9 July 2023.

Mr Ismiala commended the young Gymnasts for making Nigeria proud outside, he promised to ensure the children were well catered for.

“I am happy we are identifying our athletes at the early stage. I want to commend the kids,they didn’t just add up to the numbers in Malta, but went there to win medals.

“I believe hard work has contributed to this, we will do our best to take care of this kids for them to perform more.”

He charged the gymnasts to ensure they combine their education with sports, to enable them excel the more; Concentrate to do more, we are ready to support you.

He commended the parents for allowing their children to represent and make Nigeria proud.

While speaking from Malta, founder of TIG, Anthony Asuquo lauded the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development for the support given to sports in the country and urged them to keep on supporting talented gymnasts in the country.

According to him, We went to Malta; we saw, and we conquered.

“We don’t have enough facilities to train our athletes here, I want to appeal to the Ministry to help the Federation and individuals who are striving hard to get the best from the game.”

Mr Asuquo was pleased with the team’s performance and vowed not to relent in bringing out the best in our Nigerian children, that will propel them to having podium finish.

Speaking also was an 11 years old, a gold medalist winner at the event, Francisca Opankwu thanked everyone who contributed to their success and urged the government to assist the kids in the area of equipment and facilities that will spur them to win more.

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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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