President of the Handball  Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Mr. Sam Ocheho has pledged the full support of the Federation for the national U19 male handball team ahead of their participation in the 2019 U19 Handball World Championship in Macedonia in August.

Nigeria have been drawn with Denmark, Macedonia, Japan, and Argentina in Group C.

In a statement released by the HFN, Mr. Ocheho reiterated his belief that the team which finished in second place at the intercontinental stage of the IHF International Challenge Trophy in Kosovo earlier in the year, possesses adequate international experience and chemistry which would serve them well in Macedonia.

“I so much believe in this team,” Ocheho said.

“The cadet team has been together for over a year and have done Nigeria proud in international competitions, the latest being the IHF Intercontinental Challenge Trophy in Kosovo and it is the same team that will fly the country’s flag Macedonia. They, therefore, have the international experience to face any team whatsoever at the World Championship.”

The HFN President also highlighted the precarious state of the federation’s finances and expressed hope that successful partnerships can be struck to help ease the severe funding constraints in order to guarantee the team a stress-free outing in Macedonia.

“The HFN is on a sponsorship drive to seek for assistance in getting funds to ensure the cadet team’s participation in the world championship,” Ocheho announced.

“This will make sure that they achieve their dream of displaying their skills at a more global stage,” he added.