11th October, 2011
Handball Federation of Nigeria, HFN, has said it is hosting the 33rd African Handball Championships to renew grassroots’ interest in the game in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the championships would hold from 20-30 October in Kaduna with 26 clubs featuring, including four from Nigeria.
President of the HFN, Yusuf Dauda, told NAN that the body also intends to use the championships to entice corporate sponsors.
“Apart from renewing interest in the game at the grass roots, we also intend to use the championship to entice corporate bodies on the need for them to partner with us.
“Through regular sponsorship of the game at the grass roots, we intend to discover and nurture new talents to eventually replace the ageing ones in the game.
“The game has suffered a slump in the country and we intend to use the African Championships and subsequent locally-organised competitions to sustain interest in the game,†he said.
Dauda said the country would be represented in the competition by Niger United of Minna, Safety Shooters of Abuja, Owena Queens of Akure and Grasshoppers of Owerri.
“The country’s representatives in the competition are currently putting finishing touches to their preparations and we bank on them to put up a good performance in the competition.
“The last time the country hosted a competition of this magnitude was over 15 years ago and we don’t want the game to go into extinction.
“That’s why we are doing the best we can to take the game to the grass roots where the future of the game lies,†he said.