Coach of National Men Handball team, Michael Taangahar has said the game needs to be overhauled if the county hopes to become one of the best handball-playing nations in the continent again.
Taangahar who spoke on the backdrop of the team’s last-place finish at the just concluded Africa Handball Nations Cup in Libreville, Gabon, said the standard of the championship was high and there was no way Nigeria which has no league could compete with the best in the continent. He praised the boys for putting up a spirited effort at the championship despite the glaring setback.
He said top teams like Egypt, Tunisia and Angola had well-developed leagues, which keeps their best players at home, and in turn helps to grow their national teams. “The level at the championship was very high and the countries that had good leagues were the ones who dominated.
“For us, we had players who had played just three competitions in two years as well as upcoming ones. We played against opponents who had the funds to embark on training tours of Europe and South America. The Cameroonian team that defeated us at the classification match to determine who finished 9th and 10th, was in Brazil for six weeks playing quality friendly games and same for the other top teams.
“We only played against junior sides during our camping in Lagos and we also played against the Beninoise and Togolese national teams, which was not adequate. We have talented players but there is little they can do without support and exposure,” the coach added.
While commending the HFN for the backing it gave the team before, during and after the competition, Taangahar urged stakeholders to support the programme, which he said, would help develop the game in the country.
He also said that reviving the game in the country is a long-term project, which needs the support of everyone. “I must say that HFN board led by Sam Ocheho cannot do it alone. Everyone should get involved because this project will take some time to produce results. It is a long-term project.
He called on the Ministry of Sports to support other sports while urging sponsors to come to the aid of handball so that coaches can be trained and players exposed to top competitions. “Without funds, nothing can be done to revive the game,” the coach added.