Maccabi Holon Handball player, Udochukwu Ohaekwe has expressed optimism that nation’s female team will excel at the 2019 All Africa Games in Morocco.
Ohaekwe told www.aclsports.com the current female team is filled with experienced, hungry and determined crop of players who play in the country’s league and outside Nigeria.
The current captain of the female national team said the team never had an iota of doubt missing this year’s All Africa Games.
The former Imo Grasshoppers player said, “I am optimistic about this team, the team is a little different from the 2015 squad which means it is expected things turn out different and better.
“Nigeria qualifying for 2019 All Africa Games is actually expected. Nigeria has always qualified at home and the team had no doubt that we will not qualify away from home. It was not so easy considering the weather in Burkina Faso then, but in the end we scaled through and got the two tickets.
Ohaekwe revealed that she started with Track and Field as well as football before switching to handball in 2006.
She said, “It is a very funny story; I was into Track and Field as well as soccer when I came with Ideato North Local Government of Imo state to participate in Local Government Games held in Owerri in 2006. During the tournament, my local government handball team was short of a player so I and my friend decided to join.
“After my first practice they insisted I play the match with them that was when Coach Ferdinand Emeanaa saw me and started training me in 2006. The sport was not bad at all for me because I was already in athletics”.
Ohaekwe said playing outside the country has exposed her to new skills.
She said, “It is absolutely the best feeling one can hope to experience in handball playing outside the country. The enthusiasm of seeing and experiencing new skills; meeting new people is priceless”.
Ohaekwe told www.aclsports.com that her role model is Nigeria Ex international Oluchi Ogwo.
“My role model is no other person than Oluchi Ogwo. She inspires on and off the court because she achieved a lot in Nigeria, North America and Europe. I only met her once in 2011 when we were preparing to attend the All Africa Games in Maputo”.
Ohaekwe started her career with Imo Grasshoppers before moving to Topline Sparrows of Maiduguri, Seasiders Babes and Safety Babes. She moved to Nziko Handball Club of Cameroon, Phoenix Handball Club of Gabon and now currently with Maccabi Holon of Israel.
