50 schools set for Opeifa Cup
Idris Adesina
Over 50 secondary schools are expected to take part in the 2016 Lagos State Secondary Schools Handball Championship tagged Opeifa Cup.
The competition, which is in its second year, will hold from May 16 to 21 at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos.
According to the organisers, the tournament is expected to lay the foundation for Nigeria’s qualification drive for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Sponsor of the tournament, Kayode Opeifa, said the dearth of handball competitions at the grassroots had made it difficult for the country to make an appearance at the Olympics.
“Nigeria has a rich history in handball in the years past but it is painful that the sport where we once held sway has yet to make an appearance at the Olympics. This is because we have forgotten the grassroots,” Opeifa, who is a former Commissioner in Lagos, said during the week.
“Handball used to be well-known ahead of football in Nigeria and it has won us laurels when football failed to do such but the neglect it is suffering currently is a painful one.
“The dream of this competition is to expand it – within the next 10 years – from Lagos to the South-West and later the national stage so that the country can plan effectively from the talents raised there for the 2020 Olympics and beyond.”
The competition, which is organised by the Lagos State Handball Association, with the backing of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, will award trophies and certificates to winning schools and outstanding players.
Other prizes on offer are scholarships to the outstanding players, generators, computers, and fans for the winning schools.Copyright PUNCH.
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