Several payers from Confluence Star
s Handball Club of Lokoja have sent a passionate appeal to the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to enhance the payment of allowances that accrued to them for their participation in last year’s Prudent Energy Handball League.
The team placed eighth during the competition in Abuja, following which none of the players nor team officials were paid camping and match allowances by the government, but funds for their camping, feeding, accommodation, transportation and competition registration were provided by for the team by Kogi State Handball Association chairman, Jibril Saidu.
Confluence Stars defeated Niger United, NSCDC, Borno Spiders, Delta Force and Plateau Vipers during the said competition, which gave them the onus to play in this year’s edition of the national handball league, but a report by aclsports.com revealed that their chances ae already under threat.
The players have now appealed to Governor Bello to wade into the situation in order to avoid sanction from Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN(,
One of he players disclosed: “Confluence Stars went into camp in preparation for their first ever appearance at the highest handball league for three weeks.
“The team had two weeks camping at Lokoja inside the Confluence Stadium and later moved to Abuja for one week to acclimatize with the environment. Neither the players nor team officials were paid allowances by the Kogi State Government.
“If not for the chairman of the Association, Jibril Saidu we would have missed out of the biggest handball league in West Africa. He singlehandedly encouraged the team before, during and after the league.
“I want to guess that the Governor Yahaya Bello is not aware of our sad situation. I am appealing to his Excellency to save the club from this imminent ban and encourage the players to play at the upcoming 2021 league.”
