By Amaechi Agbo

Determined to ensure the growth of handball in the Federal Capital Territory, a Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Richard Agbonifo Hand2Hand Sports Foundation will be donating 1, 000 (one thousand) pair of shoes and jerseys to children who are talented and are into playing handball in the FCT, www.bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

The founder and president of the foundation, Mr Richard Agbonifo who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Monday

Mr Agbonifo who was a former handball player but currently lives in Germany said to help talented kids realise their dream of playing handball is the dream behind his NGO.

“By next year, we will have enough shoes and jerseys to give to these kids.. The plan is to get about one thousand shoes into handball by next year. When everything goes well, that is what you will be seeing.

“Our main aim is to get the kids equipped with shoes, balls, jerseys, nets and goal posts. With everything they need. To also help them build courts, get them into training, keep them fit always. This is the aim of Richard Agbonifo Hand2Hand Sports Foundation,” he said.

He lauded the FCT Handball Association Board led by the Chairman, Ambassador Edward Olutoke for providing a conducive environment and also being a motivator for people like him to come in and contribute for the development of the game in the federal capital.

Mr Agbonifo who is also a member of the FCT Handball Association Board noted that the foundation will help to curtail the migration of Nigerian athletes or handballers who after leaving the country would go ahead to represent other countries instead of Nigeria.

“I am also happy that we have people in the board (FCT Handball Association) who are pushing and motivating me so that when we start like this, other people will also start supporting handball.

“We have lots of talented handballers in this country but because there is nobody who is helping them to succeed, the best talents in the whole world now, (look at the best boxer in the world now) he is a Nigerian. Why he is the best is because he has the best support from European countries.

“We have a lot of very good people playing football, doing athletics, playing handball but they are not playing football or doing athletics for Nigeria, they are doing it for other countries.

“The plan is to get our talents to stay in this country, it is a long term goal of my foundation which I believe is achievable. To get talents for this country, from this country and for this country. This is something we need in Nigeria and I hope in few years time, we are able to achieve them.

“We are not going to achieve it over night, we are going to need everybody, we are going to need donations. We are a foundation and we are going to be soliciting for donations to help us continue this fight for our children. These are our children and they are the future and the future starts today. The future is today, if we start to encourage our children today, we will see better things for them,” he concluded.

Richard Agbonifo Hand2Hand Sports Foundation is a registered Non-Governmental Organization in Nigeria and Germany.