Sports
U-18 Tourney: HFN Blames Insecurity For Low Turnout
The Handball Federation Nigeria (HFN) has blamed the low turnout of states at the just concluded U-18 National Championships in Sokoto on the terrorists attacks in the north.
The HFN President, Yusuf Dauda, told newsmen in Lagos that most states stayed away from the event because of the fear of being attacked by the terrorists.
Dauda said only eight states, consisting of seven male and three female teams, took part in the 10-day championships held in Gingiya Stadium.
The HFN official named the states as Oyo, Niger, Yobe, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, Kano, and Plateau, adding that only Kaduna and Benue presented teams in the male and female categories.
“Although we anticipated a large turn-out of participants, being a developmental programme and first youth championships in the year, the Boko-Haram issue really affected the programme.
“This is because some states who indicated interest could not risk the lives of their players due to the constant bombing recorded in some northern parts of the country,” he said.
Dauda commended the Sokoto State Government for its support and adequate security provided during the championships, which he described as remarkable.
The HFN chief expressed satisfaction with the performance of the young players who exhibited outstanding skills, adding, “the young players are talented and the skills are exceptional,”.
Olusola Luke, the HFN secretary, said 25 males and 18 females were discovered at the championships, saying they were good enough for immediate absorption into the junior national team.
Luke said, “they are upcoming players but have proved a remarkable performance and the technical team have recommended that they should be included into the junior national teams,”.
According to the HFN scribe, a training programme would be put together by the technical officials, which would serve as a follow-up, to ensure that their skills are developed in the right direction.
Luke said the programme would be organised as part of their schools’ activities so that it would not affect their academic pursuits.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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