Daily Independent Online.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2004.
Finance is handball’s problem -Coach
Stories by Peter Edema
Senior Correspondent, Lagos
The development of any sport is a function of several
factors. These are sports academy to cater for grassroots participation,
adequate and functional facilities, availability of quality coaches and regular
participation in both local and international tournaments so as to broaden
players’ horizon. There should be total commitment to the development of
sports by concerned authorities.
The success of the above factors is predicated on
availability of funds.
Handball in Nigeria has not fared much. Continentally,
there is no trophy the sport can boost of. Locally, except the annual Malta Guinness, the sport
lacked quality tournaments.
Hence at the last All Africa Games held in Abuja, the
sport failed to win medal for the country.
The national handball coach, Raymond Braimoh Edialu,
attributed the poor outing in the handball event at the last All Africa Games
to lack of exposure occasioned by inadequate funding.
“Finance is our major problem. We have not been
participating in international championships due to lack of funds. Our girls
that played in the All Africa Games in Abuja attended an international
championship more than eight years before the All Africa Games.
“We don’t participate in major
international championships where the players will get the necessary exposure.
Our players are not exposed,” the coach said.
The relative high standard the sport attained in the
past, he said, was due to participation in international tournaments,
especially youth tournaments.
“Participating in youth tournaments is very
important. It builds your base. Since we’ve not been participating our
standard is falling,” Edialu said.
The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), the coach
said is now concentrating on
grassroots development aimed at producing young stars for the country.
“The federation’s concern is getting
young stars with emphasis on height. We need more of tall players than short
players since shorter players are only useful in the wings.”
