The National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos complex is wearing new look ahead of the first event of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 tournament, 3×3 Tour which is billed to dunk off on Friday, June 19 to Sunday, June 21.
From the main entrance of the complex to the Indoor Sports Hall and the open spaces within the complex, the whole stadia is bubbling with the fact that the country and Lagos in particular will be witnessing the very first time such an event will be holding in the continent.
Already flags of all the participating countries have been hoisted within the complex as well as the flag of FIBA Africa.
According to the President of FIBA Africa Zone 3, Col. Sam Ahmedu (rtd), players and officials of all the participating countries would be arriving on Thursday, June 18 for accreditation and clinic/seminar for all stakeholders.
He said: “We are planning to have the very best event been the first ever of such in the continent and in Nigeria in particular.
Information reaching the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Secretariat has it that Richard Sikabi will be arriving Nigeria for the event with his assistant, Kaudio Kevin on Wednesday, June 17.
Sikabi and Kevin will take coaches and other stakeholders through the technicalities of 3×3 to enable participants have first-hand information about the dynamics of the game.
In a chat with the Zone secretariat, Sikabi hailed the FIBA Africa Zone 3 executive board for its foresight in hosting the event.
The event which is powered by the AMK Foundation will see athletes competing in Under-18 Boys, Under-18 Girls, Senior Men, Senior Women and Mixed Categories.
At least over $10, 000 would be up for grabs by the participating countries.
Vice chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the event, Babs Ogunade said seven countries namely hosts, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic and Liberia would be participating in the event.
He disclosed that Niger Republic could not be part of the event because the country at the moment does not have a basketball federation.
According to him, matches would hold in all the three different categories while all vacancies as a result of a country that fails to register in any of the three categories would be filled by Wild cards from Nigerian teams which have applied already with the technical committee of the event.
