The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), at the weekend, held its shoulders high as its two teams, Safety Shooters and Safety Babes, won the men’s and women’s categories respectively of the 2025 Ardova Handball Premier League, which ended at the indoor sports hall of the National Institute of Sports (NIS).
At the grand finale of the league watched by the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) board members, many followers of the game and supporters of the competing teams, watched excitedly as Safety Shooters and Safety Babes, who were fantastic romped to the gold medals with aplomb.
The Ardova Handball Premier League 2025 began with the first phase in Benin City months ago before the second phase in Lagos, which ended with a finale that the Executive Chairman of Ardova PLC, Dr Abdulwasiu Sowami, represented by the Deputy Managing Director, Ardova PLC, Mrs Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, described as delightful to watch in her speech.
For Safety Shooters, it was a historic moment as they clinched the men’s title for the first time since 2020, completing a dominant campaign that saw them finish top of the table with 57 points from 20 matches, while Safety Babes also etched their name deeper into Nigerian handball history, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive women’s championship, reaffirming their status as the league’s most dominant team, not just in the women’s category but in the history of handball premier league in Nigeria.
In the Men’s final game, Safety Shooters beat COAS Shooters 43–32 (20–10) to cap off a dominant outing in Phase 2. Their final-day victory ensured they remained clear at the summit with an impressive 18 wins, one draw, and one loss, totaling a superb goal difference of +214 after scoring 638 goals and conceding 424.
Rima Strikers, who pushed the champions for much of the season, ended in second place with 52 points, despite losing 27–26 to Correction Boys in a tightly contested match, while COAS Shooters finished third with 51 points, closing the campaign with a fourth defeat but maintaining their place among the top sides.
Elsewhere in the final-day fixtures, De Defenders defeated Osun United 31–23, Niger United narrowly lost to Tojemarine Academy 27–28, while Benue Buffaloes were awarded a walkover win against Adamawa Warriors.
In the women’s category, Safety Babes sealed their fifth straight crown with a disciplined 27–24 (11–14) win over second-placed Rima Queens. Despite trailing at halftime, the champions showed their trademark resilience and tactical brilliance to turn the match around to win their sixth premier league title
Safety Babes ended the season with 13 wins from 14 matches, amassing 40 points and an impressive goal difference of +128 (486–358), while Rima Queens finished second with 31 points, with Omo Ogiefo Academy in third place with 32 points after a solid campaign.
The closing ceremony celebrated not only the league champions, but also the growth and increasing professionalism in Nigerian handball. The HFN President, Jibril Saidu Ojih, in his remarks, appealed to the management of Ardova PLC to continue the sponsorship of the premier league, which, he said, has aided and created top players for the national teams.
