By Chinedum Ohanusi
Nigeria’s Terence Terfa Vembe has been appointed to serve as member of the Arbitration Tribunal of the International Handball Federation (IHF), the sport’s world governing body.
According to the letter appoinnting him, which is dated April 9, 2026 and personally signed by the IHF President Dr. Hassan Moustafa, the tribunal is to serve for the IHF electoral year 2005 to 2029.
In the same letter, which was sighted by Sports Day Online, it was noted that Mr. Vembe who trained as a lawyer, was considered for the appointment, following the decision of the IHF Council, and in pursuant to the resolution of the IHF Congress, which authorized the Council in that regard.
The Arbitration Tribunal, is the highest appellate adjudicating body of the IHF, and sits on appeals from decisions of the Arbitration Commission, which consists of a Chairperson and ten members, elected by the IHF Congress with each Continental body having at least one member.
Until this appointment, Mr. Vembe has been the incumbent Executive Director of the Commonwealth Handball Association (CHA), since. He is also the founder and Principal Partner of Anakerem Chambers, the Law Offices of Terfa Vembe & Co.
Previously, he worked in another law firm, an his legal practice had been centred on civil and criminal litigation, across courts within Nigeria and the West African sub-region; with landmark judgments to his name.
The Benue-born administrator, is also a former international Handball Player who also played in the Nigeria National Handball Premier League with the Benue Buffaloes Handball Club, based in Makurdi, Benue State.
By and large, Mr. Vembe stands out as a grassroots sports development champion. He was a pioneer member, and Secretary of the defunct Rockets and Lynxes Handball Clubs, Gboko.
He was also at various times Captain (men’s team), and Coach (men’s and women’s teams) of the University of Ibadan Handball Team. He is now a veteran of the game of handball in Nigeria, and is rightly a member of the Mega Veterans Handball, Abuja.
More crucially, Mr. Vembe is an experienced sports administrator, particularly of the game of handball. He is also the Legal Adviser of both the HFN, and African Handball Veterans Association, and is a three term member, of the Ethics and Arbitration Commission of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN).
