Use OPEIFA CUP to raise handball talents — Former LSHA boss

Handball
By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
Lagos, May 10, 2018 (NAN) Adeola Opeifa, the immediate past Chairman, Lagos State Handball Association (LSHA), has urged schools to register for the upcoming OPEIFA CUP handball championships to enhance the capacity of their budding talents.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 4th annual OPEIFA CUP for secondary schools will hold from May 15 to May 18 at the in Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba.

Opeifa told NAN on Thursday in Lagos that the annual competition the association was initiated by its patrons, Kayode Opeifa and Sam Ocheho, to popularise the sport at the grassroots.

“This is another opportunity for secondary schools across Lagos to expose their players through schools teams to competitions among their peers and outside their confined districts.

“Already, over 60 schools have confirmed their participation, while registration is still in progress, others should endeavour to be part of the championships which is open and free for secondary schools.

“We have schools that practice handball but they need to expose their players to competitions and evaluate their technical abilities, thereby making their foundation sound and building their confidence,’’ she said.

The former chairman, who was also a player of repute, told NAN that that the tournament had nurtured budding grassroots talents to bigger platforms to showcase their skills.

“The passion to develop handball and create an enabling environment for talents discovery made Opeifa, the sponsor, to commit his resources to the tournament since 2015,’’ she told NAN.

“This championships has continued to improve by the year, 80 per cent of Team Lagos players at the just-concluded U-12/15 championships were products of OPEIFA CUP.

“Also, six of our players were part of the national U-18 team that recently represented Nigeria in a competition in Niger Republic, so, we are happy with these positive developments,’’ she said.

Opeifa urged other stakeholders to emulate the laudable gesture of the sponsor so as to enhance the profile of the sport through the participation of more schools in competitions.

NAN reports that the championships will be in two categories, the senior and junior consisting of boys and girl’s teams and is open to the public and private schools within Lagos State. (NAN)
MIL/ERO/PDE
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Peter Ejiofor)