NBBF Excited By Nigeria’s U-18 Teams’ Silver Medals At Mali 2017

• Players’ representative meets with constituents tomorrow

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) is elated that the country has a bright future in basketball following the nation’s U-18 male and female teams’ second place finish at the just concluded FIBA Africa 3×3 Championship, which ended in Mali on Sunday.

Commending the teams’ efforts yesterday, NBBF President, Musa Kida said the country has the potential to dominate Africa and become a strong force in world basketball with adequate planning and preparation.

According to Kida, qualification of four different national basketball teams for finals of FIBA organized tournaments since the new NBBF board was sworn in on July 21 showed the potential in the Nigerian game.

He said with better preparations, Nigeria would challenge the world’s best successfully, while still eulogizing the gold medal winning D’Tigress and the D’Tigers for performing miracles despite limited days of Afrobasket preparations.

He said, “Only two weeks camping for D’Tigers… a team that played matches at the competition without really playing together and the kind of commitment the boys had. I cannot but commend them for performing this miracle.”

Kida said Nigeria has enough talents home and abroad to produce world-class athletes with three of its players bagging individual awards at the Afrobasket for men.

“Our captain, Ike Diogu is the best basketballer in Africa, as he was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after scoring the most points at the tournament. Ikenna Iroegbu was also picked in the tournament’s best five, while Afam Nwamu claimed the best three point shooter,” he enthused.

He promised that the federation would leave no stone unturned to give the D’Tigers adequate support and preparations needed for a successful World Cup qualifying campaign in February 2018.

He also believes that with early start and better preparations, the Sam Vincent coached D’Tigress will do Nigeria proud at the World Cup.

Meanwhile, the players’ representative on the NBBF board, Ejike Ugboaja will meet with all players in the Nigerian Basketball League system tomorrow and Thursday to fashion a way forward for players and the game.

The two-day meeting, which will be the first of its kind between players’ representatives on the board and its constituency, will hold at the conference hall of the Lagos State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

Ugboaja said that the need to formally meet the players who he is representing on the new NBBF board was borne out of the new leadership of the NBBF to empower the players who they see as their clients.

Wednesday’s meeting is scheduled for 4.00 pm, while Thursday’s meeting will start by 11:00 am at the same venue with discussions on players’ welfare expected to be at the front burner of deliberation.

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