The South East region is set to move further along its handball development pathway with the staging of the South East 4×4 Handball Championship alongside a South East Handball IRT Referees Training Course in Enugu from July 9 to July 11.
Event details and hosting arrangements
The programme is scheduled for Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu and is organised by the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN). It is being run in partnership with the Enugu State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the National Sports Commission’s South East Zonal Office.
Purpose: talent, participation and better officiating
With the championship and the referees’ education track running together, organisers expect the combined initiative to serve as a springboard for identifying fresh talent, boosting involvement in the sport, and raising the overall quality of officiating across the region—driven in particular through the referees’ training component.
- Discovering new players and talents through increased competitive exposure
- Growing participation in handball throughout the South East
- Improving officiating standards via the training programme
Support and key organisers
The initiative has backing from Enugu State Governor Barrister Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, as well as from the President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Jibril O. Saidu.
Comrade Emmanuel Onyewuchi Asogwa is also highlighted as a central figure in the project. He is the Chairman of the Enugu State Handball Association and serves as the South East Zonal Representative on the Executive Board of the Handball Federation of Nigeria.
Link to wider federation goals
The championship is said to reflect the federation’s broader effort to expand handball development nationwide, guided by the themes of innovation, capacity building and inclusiveness.
Organisers further believe the tournament and the referees’ course will provide a direct boost to grassroots handball in the South East, while offering players, coaches and officials a chance to sharpen their abilities and help drive the sport’s continued growth.
- Strengthening grassroots handball in the South East
- Creating development opportunities for players, coaches and referees
- Supporting the long-term growth of handball in the region
