Grasshoppers were unbeatable in handball for over a decade. They were national champions and also became a strong force in Africa from the late 1970s to 1997.One day in 1994, 17 of them left Owerri, their base and switched camp to Valiant Queens of Umuahia. At that time the old Imo State no longer existed as Abia was carved out in 1991 by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
The main attraction was not just because erstwhile Grasshoppers coaches, Ephraim Chukwuemeka and Ben Offor, had relocated to their new state of origin in 1991 to set up Valiant Queens. The girls were disappointed that after preparing for the Commonwealth Handball club championships billed for Namibia in 1993, they were informed that the trip had been put off, a few hours before departure time.
That was the height of what they termed insensitivity on the part of the Imo State Sports Council. As a last resort, the girls embarked on a protest march to Douglas House, Owerri. The Military Administrator of Imo State, Captain James Aneke, did not consider the protesters worthy enough to receive attention. They were turned back by his security details.
What irked the Grasshoppers was that the Imo State Director of Sports, Patrick Ekeji, was a former Green Eagles star who also began the march to stardom as Adebajo/Manuwa Cup champion with the East Central State[ECS] Academicals in 1971. Ekeji also won National Sports Festival Soccer gold with the ECS Spartans in 1973.
Later he played and won trophies with Enugu Rangers.
The Imo State Executive Secreteary for Sports, Gloria Chukwukere, was a national athletics champion in the First Republic. She was then known as Gloria Ojukwu. It sounded strange therefore, that under two great sports personalities, the team, well respected in Africa, could not honour an international competition. This did not go down well with the players.
And for taking their case to Government House, the Grasshoppers were victimized. Team captain Lizzy Dike was moved out of active service and sent to Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area as Secretary/Coach. Goalie Maria Jack, found herself in Mbano in the same capacity. The others were either sent to Mbaitoli or to places that they were not ready for.
The mass movement from Grasshoppers ,Owerri to Valiant Queens of Abia killed the African champions. In 1994, the Queens became national champions. That was the first time another team would win the title.
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The Grasshoppers have a long history. Founded in 1977 by Sir Jerry Amadi Enyeazu,, it took the team just two years to be recognized in Africa. At the 1979 Confederation of African Handball Cup of Club Champions, they lost to Al Ahly, Egypt in the Cairo grand finale. Three years later, they won the trophy by defeating Air Afrique in Bouake, Cote D’Ivoire.
Egypt where Grasshoppers lost in their first African grand finale also turned out good at the maiden African Handball Winners Cup. The Owerri girls won the cup in Port Said. That same year, they lost to Etoile du Congo in the Champions Cup grand finale decided in Rabat, Morocco. Another cup loss came in 1986 to AS Cami Toyota in Cotonou, Benin Republic, as defending Winners Cup champions.
Grasshoppers lifted the Club Champions Cup for the second time, in 1988 thrashing AS Cheminot, again in Cotonou. That was a year after their third silver which came when Owerri hosted in 1987 following a win against Ferroviaria, Luanda. A first bronze arrived in 1986 in Libreville. These were what they had before the protest.
As three -time African champions, the Grasshoppers sure deserved more. The only other Nigerian female handball team to win a continental trophy was Desert Queens who made it in 1991.
And the last time Grasshoppers bagged a continental medal was 1997. The competition was hosted in Kano. It was a remarkable because while the Owerri team came out as second best, Valiant Queens earned a first laurel carting away the bronze medal.
In their super years, Grasshopppers were led by Rose Otuonye. There was also Nnenna Ekezie, who chose the nickname, Barry White. The white was about her complexion, not that she had baritone voice like the legendary American musician. Hyacinthia Anyaehie was another prominent member of the all conquering team.
Alaoma Abia was popular because her brother, Onyebuchi Abia, played for Spartans Football Club of Owerri, also founded by Enyeazu, the same man that set up Grasshoppers. She later got married to another footballer, Augustine Eke, who moved down to Owerri from Ranchers Bees, Kaduna. Her husband played for the Green Eagles in 1985 under Christopher ‘Ajilo’ Udemezue.
The Grasshoppers have a stadium named after them in the Imo State capital. Ekeji was instrumental to the renaming of the Owerri Stadium to Dan Anyiam Stadium. Anyiam was his coach when the Academicals won the Manuwa/Adebajo Cup in 1971 and the ECS Spartans picked gold at the Lagos ’73 First National Sports Festival.
Enyeazu’s place in history is guaranteed. He founded Enugu Rangers in February 1970, set up Spartans [now Highlanders] in 1976 and Enyimba in the same year. Enyimba, Rangers and Grasshoppers became African champions. Heartland have been unlucky twice, losing in the CAF Champions League grand finale.
