Teams from Lagos and Niger States had to dig deep to grind out hard-fought victories on Day 1 of the Handball event at the ongoing National Sports Festival 2025, tagged Gateway Games, taking place in Ogun State.
In a thrilling men’s category clash at the Alake Sports Center, Team Niger overcame turnovers and missed opportunities to edge a well-organized Team Kano 25-24. Similarly, Team Lagos faced a tough challenge from Team Sokoto but also managed to secure a tight 25-24 victory.
Meanwhile, Team Edo earned a walkover win against Team Enugu, who arrived late for their scheduled fixture. Edo was awarded a 10-0 result and claimed the maximum points.
Before the day’s matches kicked off, players and officials observed a minute of silence in memory of the late Coach Sylvanus Audu of Kano State, fondly known as Coach Kura, who passed away last week Tuesday after a brief illness.
Day 1 Results (Monday, May 19, 2025) – Men’s Matches:
1. Edo 10–0 Enugu (W/O)
2. Kano 24–25 Niger
3. Sokoto 24–25 Lagos
Day 2 Fixtures – Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Male Category:
FCT vs Kano – 9:00 AM
Osun vs Sokoto – 11:00 AM
Enugu vs Adamawa – 1:00 PM
Female Category:
Ogun vs Kogi – 9:00 AM
Edo vs Kano – 11:00 AM
Oyo vs Imo – 1:00 PM
