Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on Friday, advocated for the establishment of state handball leagues in Nigeria, in a bid to make handball one of Nigeria’s top sports.
Shaibu stated this at the finals of the 2020 National Division one handball league played at the indoor sports hall Etete, Oredo Local Government Area of the state.
”We need the handball federation to make it mandatory for all states in Nigeria to have handball leagues in their respective states, Shaibu said.
“The Federation should make it mandatory, you cannot qualify to play the National League until you qualify from the state league.
“That is how it used to be and that is what it should be, that is the only way we can truly develop handball in Nigeria. I am also calling other federation presidents, to go to the states with their associations to develop leagues of their games in our various states.
“And when we make it uniform in all sports, that you cannot be in the National league without qualifying in the states, you will have our support and our cooperation in making handball if not number one, at least number two in Nigeria.
“For the partnership that we entered into with the handball Federation, I can assure you of our support, he added.
Earlier, the Chairman, Technical Committee, Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Sam Ocheho, thanked the deputy governor and the state government for agreeing to host the national league for the next four years.
Ocheho said that the competition had exposed a lot of talents and that the future of handball was bright.
