Handball: Niger United, Plateau Peacock Win North-Central League

Niger United and Plateau Peacock have emerged champions of the men and women categories of the maiden North-central Handball League.

The final matches played over the weekend at the indoor sports hall of the M.K. O Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, saw Niger United beat D. Defenders 27-26 to lift the trophy in grand style.

Safety Shooters of Abuja finished second having gathered more points than D. Defenders, who were rewarded with bronze medal for their efforts.

Earlier, Plateau Peacocks beat Safety Babes 23-22 in the women’s final to emerge champion, as Benue Queens ended their campaign with a bronze medal in the women’s category.

The organiser and chairman of Kogi State Handball Association, Saidu Jibrin, while speaking to newsmen on the sideline of the event, said that the objective of the league has been achieved.

He also revealed that the best four in the league would be invited for the Super Four in Kwara State in few months’ time.

‘’The main purpose of the league has been achieved because more talents were discovered. A lot of upset happened during the league and it shows that handball has improved in Nigeria,’’ he said.

‘’We want to get the youth busy that is why we called 16 teams from 8 states to compete in this tournament. We are working on the Super Four tournaments in Kwara State, which will start in few months’ time and it is expected to be bigger than this one.’’

Jibrin who doubles as the executive Director of Handball Commonwealth Nations, revealed that all hands are on deck to ensure that the league would be organized yearly while calling on individuals and organisation to contribute their quota to sports development in the country.