Sports
NBBF Picks 21Players For D’Tigers’ Olympics Qualifier
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has in Abuja said it had chosen 21 players for the national men’s team preparations for the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Speaking at a press conference on the team’s aspiration for a 2012 Olympic Games ticket, the NBBF President, Tijani Umar, said the players were drawn from both domestic and international clubs.
He said the Federation had for the first time put together the best Nigerian players from around the world based on their skill and expertise in the game.
The Tidesports gathered that the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament is scheduled for Caracas in Venezuela from July 2 to July 8.
The top three teams at the 12-team competition will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games billed to hold from July 27 to Aug. 12 in London.
“The players include Olumide Oyedeji, Michael Eric, Solomon Alabi, Akin Akingbala, Ike Diogu, Ejike Ugboaja, Ike Ofoegbu, Ezenwa Ukeagu, Anagonye Aloysius and Koko Archibong.
“The rest are Al-Farouk Aminu, Melvin Ejim, Ekene Ibekwe, Ade Dagunduro, Stanley Gumut, Derrick Obasohan, Richard Oruche, Tony Skinn, Usman Abubakar, Mike Ohiero and Noruwa Agho.
“We have been documenting these players for some time now, and this is the first time ever the NBBF is doing this.
“They are among the top players in the world now, and we now have probably the best Nigerian side ever,’’ the NBBF president said.
The players are based in countries such as China, the U.S, France, Iran, Mexico, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Israel, with three of them based in Nigeria.
“The team will be coached by Ayodele Bakare, to be assisted by Tim Shea, Sani Ahmed and Dominic Okon, and all four are highly-credentialed with good records and experience,’’ Umar said.
He said the team’s preparations had however been on since December 2011 to ensure that Nigeria excelled at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The Nigerian team, known as D’Tigers, are grouped alongside hosts Venezuela and world number four-ranked Lithuania at the tournament.
“The countries we will be meeting have a longer basketball history, yet we are going to compete against them. But we know what we are up against, and that is why we have been preparing hard.
“These players are some of the best around the world and we have been preparing behind the scene since December 2011,’’ Umar said.
He said the team would camp in China because of the country’s facilities and partnership with Nigeria which would be of immense benefit to the players.
“The team will leave Nigeria Wednesday (June 6) night for China where they will train and play in games against some of the best teams in the world.
“They will then proceed to Houston, in the U.S on June 19 with 15 of the players, where we will play against Team Great Britain.
“The team will then head to Brazil on June 24 for a Super Four competition, where we will play against Brazil,’’ the NBBF president said.
He however said the competition for places in the team had been stiff.
“This is because there are enough players for each of the positions and that is why the coaches will now have a hard time in determining who finally makes it after the training programme,’’ Umar said.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.