The re-election of a Nigerian as the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Handball Association (CHA) is a re-affirmation of Nigeria’s strong position in the sport’s governance, an official said on Monday.
Jibril Saidu, the association’s newly-elected Secretary-General, told newsmen in Abuja that his emergence on Sunday at the CHA Elective General Assembly in Turkey calls for celebration.
“This is not just for the handball family, but the Nigerian nation a s a whole.
“The election or re-election has once again placed Nigeria on the global handball map as a country that is taking her proper pride of place in the governance of the sport,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Saidu was elected at the CHA general assembly which coincided with the International Handball Federation (IHF) Congress in Antalya, Turkey.
The IHF Congress was presided over by the federation’s President, Hassan Moustafa, with other member-federations participating online in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
Saidu was elected to succeed the CHA’s foundation Secretary-General, Ishola Williams, a retired Nigerian Army major-general who held the position since the association’s formation in 1985.
Other officials elected at the congress are Ruth Sanders of South Africa as President, and Shafiq Mohammed, the President of Pakistan Handball Federation, as Treasurer.
Five Vice-Presidents were elected, including Ndiriku Gokaria of Kenya as Vice-President (Africa), and Roger Salandy of Trinidad and Tobago unopposed as VP Americas.
The rest are Bulbul Fazal as VP Asia, C. Lottas (retired General) of Cyprus unopposed as VP Europe and Mitchell Gikoroa (Ms) as VP Oceania.
NAN reports that Saidu has worked as the CHA Executive Director for the last five years and is known as the “Obong of Handball”.
He is a handball veteran who began his playing career with the Kano Pyramids under-22 team at the national championship in Ilorin in 1979.
Saidu later played for the team’s under-18 and under-21 teams before heading to Sokoto where he helped the Sokoto Rima to the National Open title in Bauchi in 1986.
From there he went on to play for the national team, before becoming a sponsor of the sport not only in Sokoto state and Kogi, but across the country at both the club and national levels.
NAN reports also that the CHA was created in 1985 as an organ of the Commonwealth of Nations with headquarters in London with the aim of promoting the development of handball.
The CHA comprises sovereign handball-playing nations of the Commonwealth of Nations from the five continents of the world.
The African continent has 17 of them, the Oceania five, Asia five, Europe four and the Americas five.(NAN)
