January, 16 2023.
Action at the International Handball Federation (IHF) Under-18 and Under-20 Men's handball tournament, throws off tomorrow (Monday), with Nigeria featuring in both categories.
The Nigerian teams and a number of officials, led by the Technical Representative on the Board of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Coach Bala Mohammed flew out of Lagos on Friday morning, and are now in Brazaville, for the twin Championships.
The Nigerian team will compete in the Under 18 tournament, otherwise called the Youth Category and for the Junior Trophy, reserved for the Under-20s.
Each trophy to be won in Brazzaville, is named after the World Governing Body for Handball, the IHF; and the competition in both categories have adopted, round Robbin formats.
The Continental Championships are designed by the IHF to help member nations discover and nurture more talented players, whose involvement in the game, will boost its fortunes, especially in Africa.
The tournaments hold simultaneously from
January 16th to the 20th, 2023; and Nigeria is up against Burundi, in the Under-18 opener on Monday, while the Under-20 side are drawn to face their Guinean counterparts, on the same day.
Prior to their depaturer, both teams had at least two weeks of intensive preparations and drills, in Lagos; under the watchful eyes of Coaches Emeka Nnamani (Under-20) and Fidelis Obi (Under-18).
The teams qualified for the continental championship after winning the Under-18 and Under-20 qualifiers of the Africa Zone 3 Sub-region, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, last year.
Credit: Chinedum Ohanusi