Niger United of Minna and Plateau Peacocks of Jos are both celebrating their respective victories last weekend in the finals of the male and female contests of the National Handball League in Lagos.
Plateau Peacocks dug deep to defeat Lagos Seasiders Babes in front of their home crowd, to edge aside Safety Babes, who put pressure on them on the final day with victory in their final game.
Apart winning the league and a cash prize of N1m, Niger United and Plateau Peacocks will take part in the male and female Africa Champions Club Handball Championships.
Second and third placed teams in the male and female categories – being Lagos Seasiders and Safety Shooters as well as Safety Babes and Imo Grasshoppers – will represent Nigeria at the Africa Cup Championships.
Afterwards, Peacocks coach, Yusuf Abdulkadri dedicated the trophy to the vice-chairman of Mega Veterans Handball Club, Jubril Saidu and the government of Plateau State.
Abdulkadri said Saidu, who is a respected ex-international handball star, single handedly reconstructed Jos Township Handball Court six months before the Prudent Energy Handball League.
While disclosing that the state government was also supportive to the team, Abdulkadri said: “I dedicate this trophy to ex international, Jibril Saidu who built a handball court in Jos six months ago.
“After the renovation, I and the team promised to win the league as a way of saying thank you to him.
“The state government also played a role by camping us for months before the first and second phases of the league.
“It is a dream come true lifting the prudent energy league and this one of the most memorable days of my life. I want to give all the glory to Almighty Allah.”
