Twelve male and 11 female clubs will compete in the second and final phase of the Prudent Energy Handball Premier League holding at the Rowe Park Sports Centre in Yaba, Lagos State from October 4 to 16.
Kano Pillars and Safety Babes currently lead the table in the men and women’s categories after the first phase of the championship held in Abuja.
Speaking on the Premier League yesterday, the President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HBN), Sam Ocheho revealed that the competition would have run throughout the year on a home and away league basis but for paucity of funds.
“Ideally, what we should have been doing is an all through the year home and away type of league. Honestly, we are not there yet. And I will not kid myself to think we are at that level.
“First of all, the clubs themselves don’t have the funds to do this. What we introduced during this administration is to organise a competition called the Premier League where all the teams have to play themselves in a round-robin.
“Whatever points each team garnered from the Abuja centre will be taking down to Lagos. In another time of the year, which is going to be starting this Friday, for the next 14 days we are going to have another round-robin and at the end, the teams with the highest points in the men and women categories will be declared the winners,” he stated.
According to Ocheho, the winners of the competition in the men and women’s categories would go home with N1 million each, N750, 000 for runners-up, and N500, 000 for second runners-up.
Teams competing in the men’s cadre are Bornu Spiders of Maiduguri, COAS Shooters (Nigeria Army), D. Defenders (Civil Defence), Kada Stars of Kaduna, Kano Pillars of Kano, Niger United of Minna, Owena Kings of Akure, Plateau Vipers of Jos, Prison Key Boys (Nigeria Prisons), Rima Strikers of Sokoto, Safety Shooters (FRSC), and Seasiders of Lagos.
Abia Valiants of Umuahia, Defender Babes (Civil Defence), Desert Queens of Kaduna, Edo Dynamos of Benin, Imo Grasshoppers of Owerri, Kada Queens of Kaduna, Owena Queens of Akure, Plateau Peacocks of Jos, Safety Babes (FRSC) and Seasiders Babes will battle for laurels in the women class.
