11 teams; 8 men and 3 women have been confirmed as participants for the upcoming 3rd edition of the North Central Senior men and women, Handball Championships, to be staged for the first time, in Makurdi, Benue State.
The Chief Organiser, who happens to be the member, representing the North Central Zone in the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Saidu Jibrin Ojih stated this while speaking in Radio Nigeria’s flagship show, Sports Spectacular, on Saturday.
According to Saidu Jibrin, the tournament in Makurdi is scheduled to hold from August 19th-26th; but the preceding two editions were successfully hosted in Abuja, under the Mega Veterans Handball Association, which will also oversee the tournament, in Makurdi.
According to the Chief Organiser, “it is no secret that over the years, the North Central has been the mainstay of handball in Nigeria. This is verifiable by the number of teams that compete in our elite division, the Prudent Energy Handball League, the region boasts about 40% of players, in our various national teams”, Jibrin said.
The North Central comprises of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Kwara and Kogi State, whose handball association is also steered by Saidu Jibrin, as Chairman, and interestingly, eight reputable male teams have entered for this edition; and they are:
- Benue Buffaloes
- Confluence Kings
- FRSC Safety Shooters, Abuja
- Team Nassarawa
- D – Defenders of Abuja
- Niger United Of Minna.
- Correctional Boys of Abuja &
- Unity Boys of Abuja.
The three female teams in the mix are:
- Benue Queens, Makurdi
- FRSC Safety Babes, Abuja &
- Defenders Babes of Abuja.
The last edition of the Championships was won by the FRSC Owned teams, Safety Shooters and Safety Babes.
Reporting by Chinedum Ohanusi; editing by Muzha Kucha