Hand2Hand Foundation Targets Handball Development At Grassroots, Calls For Government Support

The founder of Hand2Hand Foundation, Richard Aigbedo, has called on the Federal Government and private-sector organisations to invest more in grassroots sports development, warning that Nigeria risks losing its talented young athletes to other countries without adequate support.

Aigbedo made the call after the foundation’s U-12 Inter-Area Council Handball Championship, held on Saturday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, where he stressed the need for regular competitions, training opportunities and improved sports infrastructure to nurture young talents.

He said the competition was organised to encourage children to embrace sports, develop physical fitness and build relationships, while providing them with an opportunity to showcase their abilities.

“We want to make children happy, get them out of their homes and encourage them to participate in sports. These children need support, and that was one of the reasons I decided to organise this competition,” Aigbedo said.

He explained that Hand2Hand Foundation was established to support vulnerable children through education, scholarships and registration with sports clubs, adding that its activities extended beyond handball to other sporting disciplines.
According to him, the foundation has previously organised athletics and judo competitions, with plans to expand its sporting programmes to include more age categories.

“We started with under-12 handball, and hopefully, in the future, we will have under-12, under-15 and under-18 competitions,” he said.

Aigbedo, a former handball player, said his personal experience with the sport had influenced his decision to support young athletes, particularly those who lacked the resources to pursue their sporting ambitions.

He expressed concern that many talented Nigerian children were not receiving the attention and support required to develop their potential, insisting that the country must create an enabling environment to retain its sporting talents.

“We have talented children in Nigeria, and if they are not properly nurtured here, they will go somewhere else and excel for other countries.
“We have seen Nigerians competing against their own country after other nations have taken them in and provided the training and opportunities they need. We can train Nigerians here and give them a better chance of winning competitions in the future,” he said.

The foundation founder emphasised that responsibility for grassroots sports development should be shared between the government and private sector.

He noted that while private organisations could support competitions and training programmes, the government must provide and maintain the necessary sports infrastructure.

“The private sector cannot build infrastructure. That is the responsibility of the government. If the government does the needful by providing and maintaining facilities and creating opportunities for training and competitions, these children will become something else,” he added.

Aigbedo disclosed that only seven teams participated in the championship but expressed optimism that subsequent editions would attract more area councils.
He said the foundation would reach out to teams that could not participate in the competition to encourage their involvement in future editions.

Meanwhile, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) emerged champions in both the boys’ and girls’ categories.

The AMAC boys defeated Abaji 3-0 in a penalty shootout after regulation time ended 6-6, while the girls finished top of the round-robin competition ahead of Kuje and Nyanya.

The FCT Assistant Director of Sports, Haruna Ilerika, commended the foundation for investing in grassroots handball, describing the championship as an important platform for discovering and nurturing future national athletes.

He also called for sustained collaboration between the government and private organisations to strengthen grassroots sports development in the territory.