14 Nigerians Get FIBA Africa Zone III Appointment

President of FIBA Africa Zone III, Rtd. Col Sam Ahmedu has appointed 14 Nigerians in the newly inaugurated FIBA AFRICA Zone III Executive Board and new commissions in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A release from the secretariat revealed that Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board member Mr Musa Kida was appointed as the Zone Vice President alongside Mrs. Magret Abara and former Nigerian international now based in Cote d’ivoire Musa Adamu on 9-man Executive Board while 12 others constitute various commissions reconstituted by the board.

The Dodan Warriors proprietor appointed General manager of SuperSport West Africa Felix Awogu and Fubarah Onyeabor on the Finance, Marketing and Sponsorship commissions to headed by Vice President Mr Musa Kida.

Mark Mentors Basketball Club owner Igoche Mark and Former Nigerian star Mr. John Faniran were appointed on the Competitions commission.

Former D’Tigress captain Mfon Udoka and Obande Ogbole were appointed on the Technical commission while the Women Development Commission has the Proprietor of Dolphins Basketball club and Chairman of The Punch Newspaper Wale Aboderin, alongside former D’Tigress Mactabene Amachree and Mobolaji Akiode, Founder of the Hope 4 Girls basketball programme.

The media council will be headed by Mr Pius Ayinor and Adeyinka Elebute was appointed as secretary to the council while Secretary of Dodan Warriors Basketball club Joe Apu was appointed Administrative secretary to the board.

On constitution of the board, Sam Ahmedu said he picked a team of people who already understand the enormity of the task ahead ” The members of the board are committed to the development of the Zone in all ramifications. And are they are all fully aware that the task ahead of us is not an easy one but we are all determined to give our best”.

The other members that joined the 3 Nigerians on the executive board include Bah Florient of Cote d ‘ ivoire (Secretary General), Guebre Boukary (Burkina Faso), Coffi Torno (Benin Republic), Idrissou Gamel Ayambire (Ghana) and Lisa Sidonie (Benin Repubic).

Zenith Bank Women Basketball League – First Deepwater, First Bank keep clean slates, lead groups

With the conclusion of the first phase of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) organized Zenith Bank Women Basketball League last weekend in Abuja four-peat champion First Deepwater basketball club and former champion First Bank basketball club remain the only clubs to maintain a hundred percent record in their respective groups.

Sixteen began the race for a comfortable finish ahead the second phase billed for Ilorin, Kwara State from May 1 through May 11 but at the end of the energy sapping round-robin league the reigning champion First Deepwater basketball club proved to be real champion though not without some sort of competition from it group-A opponents especially the game against the IGP Queens basketball club which ended 64-45 points with the Police team providing some scary moment in the first two quarters.

Coach Lateef Erinfolami and his girls clearly define their mission, to keep a clean slate going into the next phase which they have successfully done leaving other teams to fight for the remaining three slots going into the final phase schedule for Lagos later in the year.

In group-B it was First Bank basketball club who is clearly ahead of other teams in the group as it maintained an unbeaten run as the first phase to a logical conclusion in Abuja.

Though not without some patch moment against Nigeria Customs basketball on Match Day-4 when the border girls gave the former Nigeria league champion something to address, First Bank went to win the game by 42-31 points its head coach Adewumi Aderemi did confess that the game against Customs was a wake-up call that no team is a push-over in the Zenith Bank league.

As if the fight Customs gave the former ten-time champion of the Nigeria women league was not enough last season runner-up Dolphins basketball club was out to prove a point that her last season semi-final win over the Elephant Girls was not a fluke as the Wale Aboderin girls match the bankers strength for strength in a game described by pundits as the best game of the first phase.

Coach Aderemi and his wards prevailed at the buzzer by 48-41 points but were quick to admit that the Zenith Bank league has indeed come of age and standard.

All sixteen teams in the league will move over to Ilorin for the next phase in May with the top-four teams from each group making it to the last leg of the league in Lagos.

Coach Abraham Ogaba of the IGP Queens basketball club has vowed that the Police team will make the final cut to the phase playoff.

Coach Ogaba applauded the NBBF and Zenith Bank for providing a platform for Nigerian women players to continue to exhibit their talents.

The soft-spoken Police coach, however, calls for total support for the Tijjani Umar-led NBBF in delivering the gains of the league to Nigeria basketball community.

Segun Ikuesan