Aje Comprehensive Senior School emerges 6th time winner of Opeifa Schools’ Handball Competition

Aje Comprehensive Senior School emerges 6th time winner of Opeifa Schools’ Handball Competition

Aje Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Sabo, Yaba, for the sixth time emerged winner of the 7th Opeifa Schools Handball Competition organized by the Lagos State Handball Association (LSHA) which held at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos. The competition, known as the Opeifa Cup, was organised in partnership with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Competition, Dr Kayode Opeifa.

The competition which started on Monday, saw about a dozen junior and senior secondary schools, across the public and private schools in the state participate, with Aje Comprehensive Senior Secondary School completely dominating the game, beating their opponent, Whitesand Senior Secondary School, Lekki, winning the male category with a 15 – 5 margin, while Government Secondary School, Eric Moore, Surulere, emerged the second runner up in the male, senior category competition.

Aje Comprehensive Junior Secondary School, Yaba, also won in the male junior category, beating Whitesand Junior Secondary male team to the second position, while Ikeja Junior High School, went home with the third place medal.

In the female category, United Christians High School, Apapa, beat Jagunmolu Senior Girls Secondary School to emerge the winner, while the third place winner went to Government Senior College, Agege.

The first place winner in the Best Team female category was won by Herbert Macaulay Junior High School, the second place winner went to Igbobi Junior High School, while Government Junior College, Agege, won the third place.

Presenting the award to the first place winners, the NRC Managing Director Dr Kayode Opeifa said the competition is to develop local handball talents who are competing favorably with others around the world.

Opeifa, who was only recently named a member of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), said efforts are on to ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the International Olympics Competition, adding that the future of the game is bright.

Immediate Past Chairperson of the Lagos State Handball Association (LSHA) and sponsor of the “Opeifa Cup 2025” Adeola Opeifa, disclosed that the competition which is in its 10th year, with this year’s event being the seventh, have been able to successfully groom new talents from the grassroots and these talents have continued to bring honour to the game of handball as they have continued to compete favourably in different national youth teams.

She said the championship, established seven years ago, have continued to achieve the vision of promoting handball and mentoring young players into ambassadors of the game.

“From this competition we have been able to discover players who have represented Nigeria at the junior and senior levels. We have also been able to change people’s lives because some of them were picked from the streets and brought back to schools, and today they are great guys.”

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Sports Mr Damilare Orimoloye, applauded Dr Opeifa for his consistency in sponsoring the game of Handball. He said through the Opeifa Cup, the lead sponsor in conjunction with the State’s Handball Association have been able to sustain a huge following for the sport.

He restated the commitment of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to grassroots sports development, adding that Dr Opeifa’s commitment to the sports of Handball is commendable and worthy of emulation.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament in the junior female category, won by Obisanya Zainab, of Igbobi Junior Secondary School, while the Best Goalkeeper, male, junior category was won by Malik Balogun, of Aje Comprehensive Junior High School.

The Senior category, Onuamulogu Chioma Eze, of Lagos City Senior College, won the Best female Goalkeeper, while the Best Goalkeeper, male category was won by Olufemi Nasir of the Lagos City Snr College.

The Highest goal scorer (female category), was won by Chineye Nwoba, of Herbert Macaulay Junior High School, while Grace Emmanuel, of Jagunmolu Senior High School won the highest goal scorer for the male senior category. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the competition (Junior category), was won by Favour Adeneye, of Igbobi College, while Bella Ezeoke, of United Christian Senior Secondary School, was the MVP for the senior female category, with Timilehin Oni, of Aje Comprehensive Senior High School, winning the MVP for the male category.

Among other dignitaries at the event are; Mrs Grace Enebeli Asagba, who led a number of Association of Federation of Female Athletes (AFFN), the Managing Director of LABCOM Associates Engineering Ltd. Mrs Abiodun Bamodu, Member, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Mr Olumide Hunayon, Chairman Nigerian Basketball Association Mr. Godwin Enakhena, and Deputy Director of Sports, Mrs Abiola Aregbesola.

Others are Director of School Sports Dr. Olayomi Oluwasanmi, Hon. Olatunde Balogun, Mr Adegbenga Odofin. And Mrs Odunayo Adenaike, who represented the TIPS, Education District 1, Agege, Dr Idowu Olufunke Oyetola, among others.

Signed

OPEIFA MEDIA OFFICE