The President of the Nigeria Hockey Federation, Simon Nkom, has been returned unopposed in the federation’s presidential election conducted by the National Sports Commission on Saturday at the Package B, Indoor Sports Hall of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
In the same election, Tunde Popoola emerged as the Vice President after polling eight votes to defeat Anthonia Bamidele, who secured two votes.
Nkom who also emerged as a board member of the Africa Hockey Federation expressed gratitude to all hockey stakeholders, describing the victory as a collective success for the sport in Nigeria.
“This success, this victory, is not actually my own victory. It’s a victory for the whole hockey family. If I say it’s my victory, I’d be lying.
“ It’s a victory for hockey, for sports, and for all our stakeholders. I feel excited but even more challenged to do more for the game,” he said.
Nkom emphasised the federation’s ongoing commitment to developing hockey from the grassroots, highlighting that most players in the national team started their careers at under-18 level.
“If you go down memory lane, you will find out that most of our national players started when they were 10 or 12 years old. We have a solid base of young players, and we make sure to continually inject fresh talent.
“Sports is a continuous process age catches up with players, so we keep nurturing younger ones,” he said.
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He added that the NHF now places emphasis on early talent identification and sustained engagement through age-group competitions, including under-21 tournaments across the country.
The NHF president also addressed one of the sport’s long-standing challenges limited access to artificial hockey pitches.
“In the past, our players often encountered artificial turfs for the first time only during international competitions.
“Now, we have a few artificial turfs in the country, but we still need more. The more our players train on such surfaces, the better prepared they are for continental and global tournaments,” he said.
He appealed for greater support and partnership from the private sector and media to help promote the sport and attract funding.
“We need private participation and partnership to sustain hockey. Sports keep our youths engaged and productive.
“Whether it’s hockey, football, basketball, or handball these are all played by human beings, by our youths. They deserve equal attention and media coverage,” he said.
Nkom praised the Nigerian media for its contribution to sports promotion, urging journalists to extend equal attention to all sporting disciplines.
“You in the media are doing a wonderful job. But please, continue to give hockey and other sports the necessary coverage. The more awareness we create, the more support and sponsorship we’ll attract,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the new leadership of the Nigeria hockey federation is expected to unveil its strategic roadmap for the next four years in the coming weeks.
NAN
