The 28th Africa Junior Women Team Championship which is to hold at Conakry, Guinea has been postponed indefinitely.
In a statement signed by the secretary general of the Confederation of Africa Handball (CAHB) Mr. Charles Omoboumaho and addressed to the Presidents of the Member Federations. participating at the championship, it was revealed that biennial continental championship which was to hold from September 9-15, 2020 was postponed to a later date alongside the 17th Africa Women Youth Handball Championship which was suppose to commence thereafter.
The reason, according to Mr. Omoboumaho, for the postponement was to allow for registration of more teams for the competitions which serves as qualifiers for the World Championships in the two age cadre as Africa has four slots each for the 2022 and 2024 World Women Junior and Youth Championships respectively.
The Africa Junior Women Handball Championship was first postponed by a week by CAHB for better preparation.
The National Under 20 Female Handball team have been preparing intensively for the championship at Aguiyi Ironsi Cantonment, Abuja under the tutelage of Coach Bukola Duru and her assistant, Coach Isiaka Atanda.
In reaction to the development, Coach Bukola Duru expressed shock at the postponement just as the team are putting finishing touches to their preparation for the championship.
She disclosed her unhappiness to the development as the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) led by Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Mr. Sam Ocheho had invested resources at the disposal of the team for a successful outing in Conakry.
“We received the news of the postponement of the championship with shock and quite frankly i am not happy because the players were already in the competition mood”. Coach Duru said
“This news is damaging considering the level of resources that was made available by the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) led by Chairman Caretaker Committee, Mr. Sam Ocheho so that the team can have a successful outing at the championship.
But we won’t relent even as we close camp as we will continue to keep tab on the players and ensure they keep fit for their various clubs ahead of the Prudent Energy Handball Premier League” Coach Duru concluded.
Some of the players expressed their disappointment at the postponement of the championship.
For Zubair Shuqrah Ajoke of Adorable Angels of Ilorin, the players are displeased with the postponement despite the intensive training they have been undergoing these past weeks.
“We aren’t pleased with the postponement at all as we’ve been under intensive training for weeks”.
Grace Gbamire of Seasiders Babes of Lagos said she is short of words as she is unhappy.
She hoped that a permanent date will be decided on soon.
