Rivers State Governor Similanayi Fubara has offered a monetary reward of fifty million naira (₦50,000,000) to Rivers Queens, the state female handball team, for winning the 2023 National Division One Handball League.
Governor Fubara made the announcement on Tuesday, when the Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, led the team’s management and players to hand over the coveted trophy to the Governor in the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt.
“You know things are very hard now but I also have to also encourage you people. For this particular victory, this government is going to support the team in a way of donation, the sum of ₦50m,” Governor Similanayi said, adding that it belongs to the team and not the sports ministry.
The Governor, clearly pleased with the girls’ accomplishment, stated that their record demonstrates that Rivers State excels not only in infrastructure development but also in sports.
“The success is not just for the team but also for the sports image of our dear state,” the governor said. “It shows that outside the numerous work, we are doing in terms of project delivery, we are also delivering projects in sports. So, let me congratulate you again.”
He said that one of his policies for growing sports in the state will be to restart sporting activities in public basic and secondary schools in order to attract young athletes.
“We will see what we can do on our own to encourage sports at all levels” to revitalize sports in the state.
Mr Green, for one, said the triumph is cause for joy because the squad is “winning laurels of this nature for the first time.”
The Commissioner complimented Governor Fubara for allocating monies as needed, but called for the recruitment of coaches to the State Sports Council, noting that the majority of them had retired.
Rivers Queens won the women’s division of the National Division One Handball League, which was held this year in Benin, Edo State.
