With the fortune of netball in Nigeria not as rosy as those of football and athletics, the Bringing Netball Back Club is determined to make the sport popular in the country, especially among students, the club said in a statement.

In the bid to achieve its aims, the club recently partnered with the Lagos State Sports Commission to introduce netball, a game traditionally meant for women, into Lagos State public schools.

Founded in February 2012 by Abimbola Smith, BNB Club also aims to provide an opportunity for old and new players to play netball on a regular basis, push for the inclusion of netball in the sports curriculum of Nigerian schools and empower the girl child with necessary skills.

The statement said: “We believe it is important to develop and empower our ‘girl child’ with key skills that come through playing competitive team sports.”

As part of its annual programme, the club said it will host a mixed netball tournament today at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Off Herbert Macaulay Road, Yaba, to give men the opportunity to join in and play in the game.