Niger United and Plateau Peacocks at the weekend won the men and women categories respectively of the Prudent Energy Handball League Championship held at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba.
Niger United won the final phase of the championship by amassing 36 points, while Plateau Peacocks finished top of the women’s cadre with 31 points to edge out winner of the first phase, Safety Babes, who narrowly lost after garnering 30 points.
At the end of contests, Edo Dynamos’ Faith Inegbedion won three individual awards in the women’s class, including the Most Valuable Player (MVP), the best centre and the highest goal scorer with 143 goals.
Other award recipients include Plateau Peaks’ Toyin Yusuf (best goalkeeper); Nwakego Nwabueze of Safety Babes (best left winger), Ogechi Lambert of Safety Babes (best left back), Defender Babes’ Rebecca John (best right back); Safety Babes’ Raji Taiwo (best left winger); Defender Babes’ Adaobi Okoro (best pivot), while the fair play went to Seasiders Babes of Lagos.
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In the men’s cadre, D-Defenders of Abuja’s Farouk Yusuf won the MVP award. Yusuf also won the best right back, while best goalkeeper laurel went to Niger United’s Bashar Mohammed, as his teammate, Andrew Ojo got the best left winger and COAS Shooters’ Joseph Gbuan adjudged the best left winger.
For their efforts, Niger United and Plateau Peacocks won the prize money of N1 million each, Seasiders of Lagos (men) with 35 points and Safety Babes of Abuja (women) with 30 points were rewarded with N750, 000 as runners up, while the second runners up, Safety Shooters with 34 points and Imo Grasshoppers with 27 points in both categories won N500, 000 as consolation prizes.
Speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prudent Energy and Services Limited, Abdul Wasiu Sowami expressed the firm’s joy at being part of the league, which has resuscitated the hope of the athletes in handball.
While reiterating his company’s pledge in the deal signed with the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Sowami said, “Our commitment is to fulfill the obligation under the sponsorship deal. We will work with the federation to ensure that the league becomes the best in Africa.”
Source: G Sport
