Sports
THE Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) will like to join our Patron, Dr Lanre Glover and the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) in mourning the demise of a top Olympic Family Member, retired Major Yakubu Uduanokhai, 79, who passed recently.
Glover, who was a former President of HFN announced the death of the Maj Udunakhai on April 6, 2023.
A condolence message released by Tony Nezianya, the Public Relations Officer of NOC, Uduanokhai was the first Nigerian to be badged a referee of the sport by the International Handball Federation (IHF).
He had since been buried the same day according to the Islamic burial rites.
He was was one of the few who participated in technically preparing the Handball female team that attended their first ever Olympic Games” Barcelona 1992 in Spain.
Uduanokhai was among the earliest to be a badged Handball Referee by the African Handball Confederation (CAHB), which was founded at the National Stadium, Suru Lere, Lagos, before its Head Quarters were moved to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
CAHB, which had him in its Technical Commission for many years had honoured him alongside his Senegalese partner, Babacar Ndoye in Egypt just a few years ago for their long dedicated service to the Africa Olympic Sports body for the growth and development of the sport.
On behalf of the NOC, Secretary-General, Tunde Popoola describes him as ”an honest principled and upright arbiter, who engineered the foundation for the credibility and continued confidence in the officiating aspects of the sport with his colleagues”.
According to him, he was one of the Technical Pillars that supported Dr Glover, one of our patrons in laying the critical foundational days of handball.
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Tags: Dr Lanre Glover International Handball Federation Maj Udunakhai Nigeria Olympic Committee retired Major Yakubu Uduanokhai Tony Neziany Tunde Popoola
