By Solomon Nwoke

By Solomon NwokeHANDBALL Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has lamented that the absence of facilities and a dearth of sponsors were adversely affecting the development of handball in the country.

President of the Federation Dauda Yusuf. said that his Federation had been unable to organise competitions in Lagos because sponsors were not forthcoming to support the game.

Yusuf said HFN organises  its competitions in areas where there are sponsors and adequate facilities.“We are willing to organise competitions in Lagos and other states in the Southwest but we are faced with the challenge of getting sponsors from individuals and corporate organisations.”The HFN boss noted that available handball courts in Lagos were no longer suitable for the sport.

He added, “this is a major hindrance to growth of the sport and in organising competitions in the areas , we don’t want to record injuries because of the poor condition of the courts.”

He however, appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to renovate the courts at the National Stadium, Lagos, for the discovery of talents who could be nurtured to fame through national competitions.“The focus this year has been on youth development programmes and some talents were discovered in the North and we now intend to beam our searchlight on Lagos,” he said.