Netball players from Zone 2 Lagos of the Nigeria Police Force displayed exceptional skill, discipline and teamwork to emerge champions at the Biennial Police Games (BIPOGA) Asaba 2026, held in Delta State.
Zone 2 Lagos dominated the final, defeating Zone 17 Akure 18–4 to secure the gold medal in the keenly contested tournament. In the third-place playoff, Force Headquarters (FHQ) outclassed Zone 14 with an 11–3 victory to claim the bronze medal.
A total of eight teams participated in the competition, with four advancing to the semi-finals. The medal presentation ceremony marked a significant milestone for netball’s growing profile within the Nigeria Police Force.
Speaking on the development, a representative of the Netball Federation of Nigeria, Coach Edith Anum, described this year’s competition as a remarkable improvement on the previous edition.
“This is the first time netball is being played on a scoring basis at BIPOGA. The first time it was introduced, it was on a non-counting basis so that participants could understand the game and return to train others. This time around, we have a medal table, and that shows progress,” Coach Anum said.
She recalled that netball was first introduced at BIPOGA Ibadan 2024 in Oyo State, though it was not played competitively at the time.
“It’s a gradual process, and I’m really happy that the police are embracing it and running with it. So far, the police are the only uniformed force organisation that recognises netball in their games. I hope other security agencies will follow suit,” she added.
Coach Anum noted that netball existed in Nigeria before basketball but gradually faded following basketball’s rise in popularity. She stressed that the federation is working to revive and reposition the sport for national and international relevance.
“What we are trying to do is revive netball in Nigeria and make it a world-class sport that can feature at the National Sports Festival. We also want to build a national team that can represent the country in international competitions. From competitions like this, we can discover talents,” she said.
The Chairperson of the Nigeria Police Netball Association, CSP Ololade Babatola, expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, for his vision and commitment to sports development, and inclusion of netball in the Asaba 2026 BIPOGA events.
She also commended the teams and organisers for their commitment and professionalism.
“All teams improved greatly as they progressed from the group stages to the finals. There was so much commitment from everyone who took part in the game. The officials also did a great job in organising the event, ensuring everything needed for a successful competition was in place. It was a huge success,” CSP Babatola stated.
Zone 2 captain, Awawu Yusuf, expressed delight over her team’s triumph, noting that their victory was the result of dedication and preparation.
“We have been preparing and working towards this success, and we are happy to have achieved our goal of winning the gold trophy,” she said.
Lagos zone 2 claimed gold in the final results while Zone 17 Akure and Force Headquarters shared Silver and Bronze medals respectively.
The success of the netball event at BIPOGA 2026 underscores the sport’s growing acceptance within the Nigeria Police Force and signals renewed efforts to restore its prominence in Nigeria’s sporting landscape.
