As the April date for sport federations? election draws closer, the leading flag bearer for the position of president in Handball Federation of Nigeria, Barr. Mark Jacob has revealed to the larger handball family why he wants to intervene in the defragmented federation.
While addressing Newsmen in Abuja after a Handball training session with his team mates, ?Abuja Mega Veterans? yesterday at the National Stadium, Mr Jacob who explained that he was a product of nationwide consultations between former and current Players, Coaches and Admirers of the Game expressed dissatisfaction on the dwindling fortunes of the game in Nigeria stating that he has perfected plans, when elected, to bring back the national league and further pull back cooperate sponsors into the handball fold.
Barr. Jacob who was former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kaduna State and former National Legal Adviser of the PDP, decried the manner in which handball players are being thrown back to the labour market by various state sports councils, government parastatals and Para-military organizations due to the absence of competitions in the past three and a half years adding that his administration will use all legitimate means to ensure that the game is properly repositioned.
The former Attorney General specifically identified the absence of Administrative capacity, shallow programming and lack of vision on the part of the current Leadership of HFN as the major problems facing the Federation. He emphasised that in line with the current guidelines beautifully crafted by the National Sports Commission, Stakeholders in the Handball family across the Country should insist that only persons with clear vision and programmes should be elected into the Board of the Federation both at the Zonal and National levels.
?Few years back, handball was second to football in this country but the sudden dwindling fortune of handball is what has amazed every close follower of the game?
?Sincerely, some of us that have devoted most of our lives trying to revive this game at the grassroot level always feel saddened whenever we see what is happening at the national level; and that?s why I made wide consultations on this issue before offering myself for the restoration of this noble game? he said.
He finally called on all followers of handball to come together and rescue the game from the imminent danger it is currently facing.
