Sports
NPFL, Hunan Galaxy Global Trade Sign MoU To Promote Nigeria League in China
Joel Ajayi
Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, yesterday signed a partnership deal with a China-based company, Hunan Galaxy Global Trade to promote the Nigeria League in China as well as to drive investors.
This was confirmed during the contract signing ceremony on Wednesday, October 2, in Abuja, with a representative of Hunan Galaxy Global Trade in attendance.
Speaking, the Chairman of NPFL, Gbenga Elegbeleye said that, the Nigeria League is driving and the board will continue to make sure that the Nigerian League is beamed across the globe.
According to him, this has no financial implications for the penalty. We are not going to pay a dime, but what we are trying to do is to collaborate with the Chinese-based company.
“So they are driving that relationship and we want more visibility for a league globally.
“There will be an NPFL office in China. The company will finance the office, not us. So there, all those corporate partners. But the truth is, it will be a plus once they can secure companies and endorsements for a league.
In his remark, the representative of Hunan Galaxy Global Trade, Jewoola Idowu expressed that, the partnership will unlock endless opportunities, bringing Nigerian sports and culture far beyond our shores and creating avenues not only for the exchange of talent and skills but also for global exposure.
“We are particularly proud that this partnership is being launched at a time when the relationship between our two countries is stronger than ever.
“This MOU represents a bold and visionary step to open a representative office that will serve as a bridge, linking Nigerian football, particularly the Nigerian Premier Football League ,NPFL, with the biggest economy in the world.
“The NPFL has long been a symbol of the passion and potential within Nigerian football, and now, with this new marketing strategy the new NPFL board under the initiative of the NPFL Chairman Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and our company, we are bringing that passion to the heart of China’s thriving football atmosphere. China is an emerging football hub, and the NPFL will not only benefit from this partnership but will also contribute to the development of football in this great country.
“The football atmosphere in China awaits the NPFL, and with this MoU, we are ensuring that Nigerian football can shine on the international stage better”, he said.
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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