The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has declared that the national U-12 and U-15 tournament will take place this month in Umuahia, Abia State. HFN’s Secretary-General, Monica Otumala, mentioned in a statement that the event is scheduled from March 18 to 25. She indicated that the arrival of participants and screening will occur in the first two days, with matches starting on March 20. Otumala highlighted the significance of the screening taking place on March 19, which aims to confirm that players are genuinely within the U-12 and U-15 age categories. She warned that teams, academies, or clubs that fail to comply with the rules will face penalties. “All participating states and academies are therefore encouraged to ensure that the players they present for the screening meet the correct age requirements.” “Any state or academy that violates the rules will face suitable penalties,” Otumala stated. She also mentioned that only those players who successfully complete the screening process will be eligible to compete in the championship. Additionally, she stated that both the champions and the runners-up of the tournaments will represent Nigeria in any youth competitions as decided by the federation.
