Ado Salisu
Twelve-time national handball champions, Kano Pillars, have failed to participate in the ongoing 2026 Ardova Handball Premier League in Lagos, amid concerns over funding and the alleged failure to secure approval for the team’s participation from Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
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The development has sparked criticism among sports stakeholders, who expressed disappointment over the absence of the Kano-based team from the national competition.
The championship, taking place at Rowe Park Sports Centre in Yaba and the National Institute for Sports Gymnasium in Surulere, Lagos, has attracted handball clubs from across the country.
Investigations by our reporter indicate that the competition, scheduled to run from November 7 to November 30, 2026, will produce champions in both male and female categories.
A source also confirmed that the winners in the two categories are expected to represent Nigeria at the forthcoming African Handball Club Championship.
Kano Pillars, popularly known as the Pyramids City Boys, are regarded as one of the country’s established handball clubs but are conspicuously absent from this year’s competition, missing the opportunity to defend their reputation and represent Kano State.
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Some players, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the team’s absence as a major setback and an embarrassment to a state with Kano’s sporting history.
They appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the newly appointed Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Comrade Ibrahim Waiya, to urgently address the financial challenges confronting sports teams in the state.
One of the players questioned the inability of the state government to sponsor a small contingent of not more than 22 players and coaches, wondering how Kano’s larger contingent would participate in the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Enugu.
Meanwhile, in matches played so far in Lagos, former champions Plateau Peacocks, winners in 2018, secured a narrow 23–21 victory over Defender Babes, while Rivers Queens defeated Rima Queens 20–17. The competition continues on Tuesday.
The development has also raised concerns about Kano State’s preparedness for the National Sports Festival, scheduled to hold in Enugu from November 26 to December 11, 2026.
Stakeholders fear that continued funding challenges could affect the state’s participation in the national sporting event, which is expected to bring together contingents from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to declare the festival open on November 28.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Comrade Ibrahim Waiya, for comments on the development were unsuccessful.