The Plateau State Football Association Chairman, Hon. Dr. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande was one of the spectators that cheered the Plateau State Junior Handball team to victory over their Nasarawa State counterparts in the ongoing North Central Zonal Eliminations in team sports for the 8th Edition of the National Youth Games slated for Asaba, the Delta State Capital.
Hon. Dr. Suleiman Yahaya Kwande, who recalled his days as a Handball player for Federal Government College, Maiduguri, Borno State, narrated his ordeal as a makeshift goalkeeper for his Secondary School then during the Federal Government Colleges Games, FEDCOL. In his words: “Watching these kids today doing well here brought about some fond memories on this same Handball court when I was still in Secondary School, that is Federal Government College, Maiduguri. My School came to Jos for the FEDCOL Games, which was like a sports festival amongst Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria. I came to play Basketball for my school in Jos, but had to still man the goal post for my school Handball team. I need commend both goalkeepers of both States today, facing these shots thrown at them face to face. I remembered what happened when faced with some of these shots thrown at me then. There was one player then with heavy shots, I was face to face with him, I couldn’t stand it, I turned my back and the shot hit my back which resulted into a counter attack and resulted into a goal for my team, I was praised to the heavens by my teachers and school mates but they never knew it was a style or game mastery, but to safe my face from his bullets of shots!”
He praised the Plateau State team for their doggedness and emphatic victory over their Nasarawa State counterparts.
The very young lads from Plateau State, won the game, beating Nasarawa State 28 to 6.
Here are all the results of games from different team sports in day 1:
BASKETBALL female:
Plateau State 1 Vs Niger State 10
Abuja 4 vs Plateau State 9
BASKETBALL male:
Kwara State 10 vs Abuja 3
Plateau State 4 vs Nasarawa State 11
Abuja 19 vs Niger State 2
Kwara State 10 vs Nasarawa State 2
Plateau State 2 vs Niger State 16
Nasarawa State 4 vs Abuja 8
HANDBALL male:
Plateau State 28 vs Nasarawa 6
FOOTBALL male:
Abuja 1 vs Nasarawa State 0
VOLLEYBALL female:
Benue State 3 vs Nasarawa State 0
Friday 29th fixtures
HOCKEY
PL vs Nas (m) 8am
PL vs Nas (f) 9am
PL vs Niger (m) 3pm
…at Police field.
FOOTBALL
PL vs Benue/Niger 8am
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
PL vs Benue (f) 8am
BASKETBALL male
PL vs Kwara
Nas vs Niger
Abuja vs PL
