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4th Lions Grasshoppers Legends U-15 South-East Handball Championship Takes Off
4th Lions Grasshoppers Legends U-15 South-East Handball Championship Takes Off
The best U-15 handball talents from the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo have converged on Umuahia for the fourth edition of the Lions Grasshoppers Legends U-15 South-East Handball Championship.The championship, organised in partnership with the Abia State Government, is taking place at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Umuahia Township Stadium, with five boys’ and five girls’ teams competing in a round-robin format. The final match of the series will determine the overall champions.Speaking at the opening ceremony, President of the Lions Grasshoppers Legends, Sir Isaac O. Isaac, recalled the glorious era when the Lions and Grasshoppers dominated handball in Nigeria.He said the championship was established not only to give back to society but also to discover and nurture young handball talents capable of taking Nigeria and the sport to greater heights in the near future.“Some of the talents discovered in the previous editions of this championship are now in the junior national team, while others are representing their respective states,” Sir Isaac said.The former Director of Sports of the Abia State Sports Council stressed that the primary objective was not to win at all costs but to ensure that the South-East never runs short of talented handball players.Speaking earlier, Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Mary Nwachukwu Chima, explained that a stringent screening process had been put in place to ensure that only eligible players participated in the championship.She disclosed that players who did not make the final cut would feature in a ceremonial match on Friday.“The organisation is exploring means of awarding scholarships to exceptional players and hopes to organise holiday camps to ensure that the talents discovered are nurtured to stardom,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Director of Sports, Comrade George Obioma, called on sports lovers across the South-East to troop to the Indoor Sports Hall of the Umuahia Township Stadium to support the young handballers and encourage them as they showcase their talents.In some of the matches played on the opening day, Abia girls recorded an emphatic 23–3 victory over Anambra, while Imo girls defeated Enugu 13–4.The championship will climax tomorrow, with prizes expected to be presented to outstanding teams and exceptional individual players.
By Joseph Jacob
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