The board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has approved the participation of the national team in a four-nation invitational tournament billed to hold in Johannesburg, South Africa, from March 18 to 22.
South Africa, Kenya and Mozambique are other participating countries in the tournament.
We gathered that this was part of the resolution reached at the end of the stakeholders’ forum of the NBBF held in Abuja last week.
In his opening address, the NBBF president, Tijani Umar, welcomed all stakeholders to the forum and emphasised the need for those present to voice their opinions on how to move Nigerian basketball forward.
He said: “The stakeholders’ meeting is not just a repetitive yearly ritual, but a necessary stock-taking and account-rendering for all those entrusted with federation duties as well as adoption of valid ideas and feedback.”
Speaking further, Umar stated that the 2014 basketball season was very challenging for the federation in terms of funding its activities. But he is enthusiastic that 2015 will bring better tidings.
He also hinted that the federation has concluded arrangements for the national teams to resume camping for the joint 2015 All Africa Games/Afrobasket tournament with positive response from the National Sports Commission (NSC), and the intent to implement the national youth team programme, especially for the U-16 levels for the zonal and continental championships for boys and girls.
Meanwhile, the NBBF Prospect Camp, to identify players for the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) programme will start from February 13 to 15.
The prospect camp will be coordinated by Emmanuel Odah and Michael Aubourn of the FCT Basketball Association, while Ahmed Danmama (Kano State), Spencer Chileh (Benue State) and Ahmadu Abba (Taraba State) would give support.
In a related development, the league sponsors of the male league, DSTV, have hinted that they will now cover live games from Abuja in the new season, following the promotion of FCT Rocks, joining last season’s runner-up, Mark Mentors, in the premier league.
The forum had the presence of the chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Godfrey Gay, among others.
The chairman House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Godfrey Gaya, while declaring the forum open, lamented on the inability of the basketball federation to receive its budgetary allocation, but assured the general assembly that he will make sure the monies are released to the federation with immediate effect.
