By Aderonke Ojo
Engr. Simon Nkom has been re-elected as the President of the Nigerian Hockey Federation (NHF), securing another four-year term to lead the sport’s governing body in Nigeria.
The election, which took place on Saturday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium (Package B) in Abuja, was conducted in an atmosphere of peace, transparency, and inclusiveness.
Engr. Nkom emerged victorious with 10 votes, while Tunde Popoola was elected Vice President with 8 votes.
In his post-election remarks, Engr. Nkom expressed deep gratitude to all stakeholders, describing his re-election as a collective victory for the entire hockey family in Nigeria.
“This success is not my personal victory; it’s a victory for all hockey stakeholders. When hockey wins, everyone in the sport wins. I feel excited, but even more challenged to continue working harder for the progress of hockey and Nigerian sports in general,” he stated.
Reflecting on recent achievements, Nkom praised the national teams for their performances, highlighting the men’s bronze medal finish at the African Hockey Nations Cup—Nigeria’s best-ever result at the continental level.
“It’s the first time our men’s team has won bronze at the African Cup of Nations, which is a huge milestone. But we’re not satisfied yet. We have the talent, and with more exposure and support, I believe we can reach the finals and even win gold next time,” he said.
He also expressed optimism about the women’s team, noting that although they narrowly missed the podium this year, they remain one of the strongest sides in Africa.
Engr. Nkom reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to grassroots development, emphasizing the importance of catching young talents early and providing better training infrastructure, including artificial pitches.
“We have many young players coming through our grassroots programs. Most of our current national team members started playing before the age of 18. We’ll keep nurturing these talents so that we always have a strong pipeline of players,” he explained.
He further appealed for greater support and media attention for hockey and other less-publicized sports, stressing that all sports deserve equal recognition.
“Sports is sports—whether it’s hockey, basketball, or football. They’re all played by our youth, our children. They deserve equal treatment and encouragement,” he concluded.
With his re-election, Engr. Nkom is set to continue steering Nigerian hockey towards greater achievements, with a focus on development, inclusivity, and international competitiveness.
The NSC elections covered 18 sports federations, including taekwondo, hockey, deaf sports, tennis, scrabble, aquatics, shooting, golf, handball, rugby, fives, chess, wrestling, squash, traditional sports, wushu-kungfu, boxing, and karate