Nnenna Ekezie Nwaoma is a handball veteran who starred for the legendary Grasshoppers Handball Club of Owerri. The club dominated the game for over a decade in Nigerian and Africa bringing honours to Imo State. Her sports name is Barry Whyte, though only few people know her as Nnenna.
In this interview with News Echo editors, Ori Martins and Afam Echi, Barry Whyte traces the origin of the Club, their exploits and lamenting the death of the game which once made the state a house hold name. Nnenna was the captain of the national team.
So why the name Barry Whyte?
She laughs. It is because of my voice. It was given to me while in the secondary school. I started playing for Nigeria while in the secondary school.
Where did you attend secondary education?
It was at Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam Grammar School Afikpo.
How did you get into the Grasshoppers Handball Club?
It was through playing handball. The State was created in 1976. Am I correct?
Yes, go ahead.
So coach Nwaoguegbe then came and introduced handball in my school. I schooled with Alaoma Abia. As a result of the experience we had in basketball we played a little and that was the week we were going for a zonal competition. Okigwe was then the zonal headquarters. We came to Okigwe where the then coach picked I and Alaoma Abia now Alaoma Ekeh.
Can you still remember how Grasshoppers came by that name?
Why, the memory is here (pointing to the head). Jerry Enyeazu gave the name. Our first outing as the Imo State Handball team, Enyeazu gave us the Spartans Handball Club. This was at Benin-the Ogbe Hard Court. That was where our victory started. Then, next year being 1977 we went as a state team to Kaduna for the National Sports Festival tagged Kaduna ’77. It was our first outing. It was a state team so there was no name. It was only club sides that bear names.
In 1979, at Oluyole it was still a state team, not Grasshoppers. In the same year we went for another competition in a place I can’t remember now and Enyeazu gave us the name saying we can’t answer Spartans like the male football club side. As they were discussing it Ejiofor said that a grasshopper just perched on his shoulder. Then he picked it out and Enyeazu said that these girls would answer Grasshoppers.
You are very correct. I think I know this story. You mentioned Jerry Enyeazu can you still recall how he carried you people, handball, football and sports generally along?
Enyeazu loved sports. It was through him I travelled for the first time in my life from Africa I went to Germany. That was in 1979. I think he was a shareholder in Erima Company. We travelled to Dortmund that first time. We went on a playing tour from where we flew to Egypt where we had gone for a continental competition. Enyeazu loved us and he gave us the little he had and we enjoyed it. He repeated this in 1980 still moved to Dortmund again on training tour.
Can you tell us how many African Championship that Grasshoppers won?
We won twice. Our first trophy as a Grasshoppers team was in Bouake, Cote D’Ivoire in 1982. Then the second one was in 1988.
What about Nigerian competitions?
Until we left Imo Grasshoppers was dominating.
For how long did you team rule Nigerian handball?
We held sway from 1977 to 1991 when Abia State was created. We were to leave for Abia that month and there was a competition in Katsina either National Open or Senior Championship.
General Shola Williams made sure that all the participating states sponsor their team. He met all the governors. Our then Director of Sports, Anelechi Ogbonna, told us not to go.
He said Girls stay and play for your Club, after that those who want to go to Abia can do so and those who want to stay can as well do same.
Was there any victory at the Commonwealth level?
Yes we won. But that was when we parted and left for Abia. By then there were just very few teams in the Commonwealth, Nigeria represented by Grasshoppers, the Indian team, the British team, the Australian etc. They were not coming here o! We showed class each time, winning I guess about two times.
In Africa which team was your greatest rival?
The Cameroonian team was a very good team but we had always defeated them. You see these girls; they are all tall and big. When they jam you, you will fall and call your mother.
Then our coaches, Ofor and Chukwu decided that we will be training with the boys but they never defeated us. But another good team that over ran both Hoppers and the national team was the Angolan team
In all how many years did you put into handball?
It was from 1977 to 1997. My last competition was with the Valiants of Abia in 1997. We went to Niger Republic then. I quit handball as an athlete
After that what was your next step?
I started as a coach. I was a grade 2 coach. I was also playing with them simultaneously. I didn’t stay up two years doing this. I attended the coaching courses in Imo, the grade 3 and 2. I was not able to make grade one because I dreaded Statistics which was a nightmare to me.
Can you mention some of your team mates especially those that started with you first?
Nnenna Ekezie, Alaoma Eke, Eunice married to Eugene Ohuabunwa, late Rose Otuonye, late Mummy Grace Nwogu, Angela Mbolu, Ozioma whom we fondly call boy, Grace Ibe though she didn’t play far but played for Nigeria, Hyacintha Anyaehie. We were 12 then.
Was coach Ofor your first trainer?
Yes, he was from the old East Central State, they came from Enugu and now continued with the Imo team. His full names are B.U. Ofor—Benedict I guess.
What could you identify as your most spectacular moments in handball?
It was when I won the first African Handball Championships. That was in 1982 as I told you.
And your worst moment was when?
My worst moment was not even losing. If it was loss then it was a general thing. We were in camp training for the state and training for the national. We were to travel either to Egypt or somewhere I can’t remember now. Coach Chukwu came. He was also our coach at the national team. Ejiofor came bringing the remaining girls who didn’t make it to the national team.
In the morning we either train with the Grasshoppers or the national team. I was the national captain when Mummy Grace died. Suddenly they said that we are travelling today but earlier we have heard rumours that they are not sponsoring it. When Mbakwe was here and when it is time for international engagement he will tell us to go to Lagos because according to him we are playing for the nation.
We will stay in Lagos and they would sponsor us. We got to the airport my brother and the reality dawned on us. Everybody with their bags and track suit around our waist, we waited as the flights were taking off for up to 5 hours.
You will not believe around 6.30pm coach Chukwu said these women you should enter the vehicle to take you to the National Sports Commission (NSC) so that tomorrow we return to Kwara where we camped. Those that were not in the national team got money from coach Chukwu to return to Imo State.
What actually happened?
There was no fund.
What are you doing presently? Are you still into handball?
Yes, I am still in handball. Handball is in my blood.
Actively what roles do you now play?
I was coaching until T.A. Orji sent us packing.
Looking at the height handball attained then and now what do you have to say?
Now, handball is nothing to write home about. Immediately General Shola William, the boss of Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) left, handball started crumbling. Col Nebo came and tried the little that he could but it didn’t work.
I think he is from Enugu State or so, and then came Ndi Onyiuke Okereke, that was when the fire quenched but before her there was Dr Boyle who was moving with us as part of the medical team. I think three years ago someone took over and has been struggling to revive the game. It was when Jerry Enyeazu was there that we enjoyed boom.
If you win to travel out for international competition you must go and if you don’t go he will come and ask your governor to sponsor you. After those three set of leadership tried their best handball died.
What do you think that led to the death of handball in Nigeria?
It was from the governors. Why I said so is this. Like when I was still there these young girls that came after two or three generations were using their money to sponsor themselves and they were still winning, which I never did.
I vowed that I cannot do it, to use my money to sponsor myself. This is a team work which the people now task themselves to contribute so that they can go and manage to participate in competitions.
During our time nobody bothered us to use our salary for competitions. It is from governors. The only person that appreciated and gave Kudos to Hoppers is Gov. Udenwa who sponsored annual Maltina Handball competitions. During his tenure Grasshoppers travelled more than three times abroad for international engagements.
On a personal what are the awards that you won?
They are so many. Can I even remember them all? Some of the plaques have broken moving things up and down. I still have so many certificates and medals.
This one (pointing to a framed work) is the best handball player in I982. I got the award before our victor in Bouake, Ivory Coast. Then this is another one (still pointing) which I got from then Minister of Sports Bayo Lawal.
Who was your closest team mate?
When we were playing it is Alaoma Ekeh (Nee Abia).
And the best player?
The best player in Imo, Nigeria and Africa was Rose Otuonye. But we don’t use her often when it comes to skill she doesn’t have so much. But when it comes to fast pace who are you even with this your height. From the ground she has good sprints.
Now what do you think that can be done to revive handball in the state and country?
There is this new chairman HFN at Abuja, a young man who is doing his best. Sometime he goes around begging money and then we have started to hear about some competitions like U-12, U-18 and the senior team competitions. The people that have started to bring up handball again are the veterans based in Abuja, most of them big lawyers who were handball players.
So if we get you right you are identifying funding as the major challenge?
There are no sponsors. Since we left the scene these girls have never entered any plane to go for any competition but they will always win. During Ohakim era, he told them that is their business that he has nothing to do with it. The disabled went to him and he told them if they didn’t see his eyes, that he is also disabled.
What was the reward system like during your time?
Well then our own was just to win, and we shake hands with the president, shake hands with the governor and we go. It was only Chris Anyanwu during the time of Amadi Ikwechegh gave us N1000. That was a big money then. Sometimes if we win they take us to Multi-Purpose Hall and pour drinks for us in the cup. We will not drink because it is nothing compared to what we usually drink.
Once at the Concord Hotel, Ike Nwachukwu, then governor gave us wall clocks. In I982 when we won this championship, Spartans were to go and play WAFU Cup final in Ghana. They brought them concoction and people were urging them to shun the drinks that they will win. They ignored the warnings, drank and they lost. The government got annoyed and refused to give us anything.
My coach, Ejiofor pleaded that they should reward us the women because we will soon have another competition to play in a matter of weeks.
What is your message to the handball authorities and the players?
My message is that the government should look into handball and in fact all sports. Secondly, the players should encourage themselves to train. Most times when they are training and there is no incentive they become angry and they would leave. There is no employment. Most of them that were in Abia before I left, they were not working. But during our time before you drop your pen waiting for your result you are given a job.
So you mean that while you were playing you were an employee of the government?
Yes I said so earlier. Immediately I finished my school certificate I was given a job. Before we went for Africa League in Algeria we were given jobs including those behind us at the Sports Council. In the then Bendel State, when you are an athlete you are being paid salary even if you are in class one.
And here our coaches forced us to go to school, I mean Ejiofor. He will tell us, you people should come and go to Alvan. Alaoma did her diploma in Uniben and her degree in ABU.
Do you have any regret playing handball?
I was a star, so why must I regret. There is nothing to regret even though I was taken away from my job so without any pension. Handball helped me to travel wide and make friends some of whom I communicate with in sign language
What was role in the pitch? .
I was an attacker before my coach took me to the defence because of my body. I was rough. In the national team I played in the defence sometimes they took me to the attack. But my main role was in defending.
Which was the worst match that you played?
From the club sides it was an M K O sponsored tournament in Lagos. As usual we travel in the nights to Lagos and as soon as we are arriving by 2am getting into the hotel they announced that we are playing the first match. They were finding a way to defeat us. We played that match and lost.
