Rivers Handball Players Aim For Gold At 2nd Niger Delta Games

Players of the Rivers State handball team have issued a strong warning to their opponents ahead of the forthcoming Niger Delta Games, stating their intent to secure the gold medal in Benin City this month.

Following the conclusion of the handball trials for the Edo 2026 Games at the Diete-Spiff Civic Centre in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the players expressed unanimous determination to achieve gold later this month.

While their performances at last year’s inaugural edition in Uyo fell short, the players remain resolute that their experience, combined with rigorous preparations, will yield positive results this time around.

Goalkeeper Richard Harrison led his male teammates in declaring their readiness to take Benin by storm, expressing confidence in their preparation. “We are very well prepared. I would say it’s a 100% for us. We have been training consistently, morning and evening, so the groundwork is there; it’s just a matter of teamwork, and I believe we can go for gold,” said Harrison.

His teammate, ThankGod David, echoed these sentiments, asserting that their hard work in training will help them triumph over their regional opponents starting February 20. “We are very confident in our abilities as we have put in enough effort in our training. We believe that as we head into the competition, we, as a team, will emerge victorious,” David remarked.

The Rivers handball team is aware of their past shortcomings and is eager to create a new experience. Godspower Idango noted that their lacklustre performance last year has instilled a renewed hunger in them ahead of this year’s competition. “We are looking forward to this year’s Games. We didn’t perform well last year, so my teammates and I are more determined than ever, putting in significant work both in the morning and evening. I assure you that we will come out victorious in Edo State.”

Lily Emmanuel, representing the women’s team, shared her confidence in their readiness to make the state proud this year. “I wasn’t proud of our experience last year, but this year we are well-prepared. We are not coming to falter or fail. We are Team Rivers, and we aim to make Rivers State proud. Since the beginning of January, we’ve been training intensively, focusing on endurance, which has given us greater strength. The results will be different this time,” Lily stated.

The trials for the Rivers State team for the Edo 2026 Niger Delta Games continued on Wednesday, with volleyball and taekwondo taking centre stage.