Sports

Sports Is An Industry For Human Development says Musa Nimrod

Published

5 years ago

April 25, 2021

The President, Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimord has described sports as an industry for human development.

He said sports is a process of recracation that is rooted in identity, self determination, loyalty, the preservation of human dignity and social pride.

Nimrod stated this at the closing ceremony of the 2nd edition of Numan Federation Volleyball Unity Cup in Numan, Adamawa state held on Sunday.

He added that “Sports help us to think through big ideas of entertainment, competition, personal and physical development as well as social growth stressing that the future of sports and it’s impact on the society is shaped by an array of factors.

According to him, the factors includes advance in technology, leadership, rules modifications, the future of coaching techniques, Organization, participation and spectatorship.

The number one volleyball personal in Nigeria, noted that sports has been an intergral part of social development which has moved from mere form of exercise to an advance and competitive engagement through innovations.

“Sports is an instrument of local, national and international peace and development” he added.

He called on private corporation to invest in sports as an industry with economy value rather than charity for political correctness, ” sports is a conglomeration of different industries out together, stressing that a growth in sports is a growth in different sector of the economy”.

Earlier, the Adamawa state Chairman of Volleyball Association, DCP Stephen Hasso Rtd, said the purpose of the tournament is to further the peace process of the Hama Bachama in the Federation, which the Hama Bachama has put in place since assumption of the Royal seat.

He added that the support the association got from the royal father and the President of the Volleyball Federation made the association to organize the competition that has been decribed as success.

Also speaking, one of the three National Volleyball coaches who were on ground to scout for young talents, Sani Mohammed who is the Chief coach of National U19 male team said “What I saw in the last two days shows that the future of volleyball is bright in Nigeria”

“I have gone places but here is different, all this boys need now, is encouragement and good training, this we will give to those we have already selected” Sani said.

In the final matches payed for both men and women categories, Numan men team defeated Shelleng team by three straight set to win the converted trophy while Numan women team defeated Demsa also by the margin.

The three trounament which was put together by Volunteers for Sustainable Development a non governmental organization in collaboration with Adamawa state Sports Conucil and Adamawa state Volleyball Association had the firm support of the Hama Bachama, Homun Dr. Daniel Shaga Ismaila oon, Dangote Suger, Leah Iza memorial foundation and Mope Hotels.

Diginitires that graced the closing ceremony incudes, Hama Bata, Homun Alhamdu Gladstone Teneke mfr, the Deputy Speaker Adamawa state House of Assembly, the local government chairmen of Shelleng and Numan local government areas captains of industries.

Five local government areas that made up the Numan Federation took part in the 2nd edition.

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Sports

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

Published

21 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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