20th September, 2010
The much awaited National Premier Handball League will kick off on 23 September at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Twenty four clubs across the country will take part in this year’s National League. Some of the clubs in the male category are Safety Shooters (FRSC), Niger United (Niger State), Owena Kings (Ondo), Rima Strickers (Sokoto), Pyramid (Kano), Spiders (Borno), Vipers (Plateau) and Seasiders (Lagos).
Others are Coa Shooters (Nigeria Army), Desert Stars (Yobe), Key Boys (Nigeria Prisons), Kada Kings (Kaduna), Yobe Deserts Stars and Borno Spiders.
Invited clubs in the female category are Safety Babes (FRSC), Grasshoppers (IMO), Valiants (Abia), Sparrows (Borno), Owena Queens (Ondo), Dynamos ( Edo), Desert Queens (Katsina), Seasiders (Lagos) and Dooshima Babes (Benue)
Speaking ahead of the league, Secretary General of Handball Federation of Nigeria, HFN, Olusola Luke, disclosed that this year’s tourney will be highly contested, adding that all the participants are fully prepared for the league.
“All the invited clubs have been preparing in the past few weeks. So they are ready for the league,†he said.
Commenting on the performance of the Nigerian team in Handball at the just concluded ECOWAS Games, the scribe stated that he was happy that the country won a gold medal in the female event and won a silver medal in the male event.
He said the Nigerian male team were unlucky to have lost to Ghana in the final, but commended them for their outstanding performance at the championship.
“We would have won gold medal in the male category but we lost to Ghana in the final. Nevertheless, we had a good outing at the championship,†he said.
—Sunday Akintoye