Shittu Agboola, the head coach of Nigeria’s U-18 women’s handball team, has made an appeal to the sports ministry for assistance as the team gears up for the upcoming Women’s U-18 Handball World Championship. The event’s 10th iteration is set to take place from August 14 to 25 in Chuzhou, China.
Nigeria finds itself in Group B, facing formidable opponents such as Croatia and Montenegro, as well as Angola, whom they previously defeated for third place at the 2023 Africa U-18 Women’s Handball Championship in Tunisia. Despite acknowledging the challenging group, Agboola remains optimistic about Nigeria’s chances, especially after their second-place finish at the IHF Women’s Trophy 2023/24. He emphasizes the need for ministry support to ensure the team is well-prepared.
Agboola expressed confidence in his team’s abilities and strategies to compete against the top handball nations they will encounter, including the well-regarded teams from Croatia, Montenegro, and Angola. He highlighted the Handball Federation of Nigeria’s (HFN) efforts in developing a competitive team, citing their podium finishes in five tournaments since 2023.
The coach stressed the importance of adequate preparation for the world championship, given that it is Nigeria’s inaugural qualification. He hopes for extended training camp time and additional resources from the Ministry of Sports to bolster their chances.
The Nigerian U-18 women’s team secured their spot in the World Championship by beating Morocco in the quarter-finals of the Africa U-18 Championship in Tunisia. Although they lost to Egypt in the semi-finals, they claimed third place by overcoming Angola. The team also excelled in the IHF Women’s Trophy, winning the Africa Zone 3 phase and the continental phase, before finishing as runners-up in the global championship after a loss to Kosovo in Uzbekistan.
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