Team Ogun on Monday secured a place in the final of the women’s handball event at the ongoing National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Gateway Games 2024, after a hard-fought 24–19 victory over Team Kogi.

The semi-final clash, held at the Alake Sports Centre in Abeokuta, ended in a 10–10 stalemate at halftime before Ogun pulled ahead in the second half to clinch the win.

After the match, Head Coach of Team Ogun, Sekoni Oloruntola, expressed satisfaction with his players’ performance and optimism ahead of the final.

“I feel great. We’re progressing steadily. The players gave me about 75 percent today — I’m confident the remaining 25 percent will come through in the final,” he said.

Oloruntola credited the team’s motivation to the support of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.

“The governor has paid all outstanding allowances and made further promises to the players, which have really inspired them. We’ve played Kogi, Plateau, and Delta before meeting Kogi again in the semi-final. Now, I expect nothing less than gold.”

One of the standout players, Abdulrasaq Idowu, also expressed confidence that Ogun would emerge victorious in the final.

She highlighted the need for increased support for handball development in Nigeria, calling on governments at all levels to organize more competitions.

“If more competitions are held — at the local government, school, state, national, and even international levels — it will go a long way in promoting handball and encouraging youth participation,” she said.

Team Ogun now awaits their opponent in the final, with eyes firmly set on clinching the gold medal.