The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF)

  • South-south 3×3 Tour begins November 16

    This year’s edition of the South-south 3×3 Basketball Tour will begin on November 18 across the six states in the zone.
    The event is being organised by the zone’s representative on the board of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engineer Musa Kida in conjunction with the zonal office of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, and is powered by the AMK Foundation. Participants will contest in four categories – Under-18 Boys, Under-18 Girls, Senior Men and Women. The event is open to all players.

    In a release signed by the Event Director, Fubara Onyenabo, the preliminary round of the tour will commence on November 18, when Benin City will host in Edo State. It will be the turn of Asaba to host that of Delta on November 19, While Yenagoa will host the tour in Bayelsa State on November 20. The tour moves to Port Harcourt, Rivers State on November 21, while Uyo will host on November 22 before the preliminary train comes to a halt in Calabar on November 23. All matches are scheduled for 8am to 5pm daily.
    After the preliminaries, champions in each category from the six states will converge in Calabar from November 23 to 28 for the zonal finals.

    Onyenabo called on all intending participants to submit their registration forms to their state coordinators for onward entry on the FIBA 3×3 Planet before November 16. He added that participants at the finals, which will feature 4 players per team, will be given free kits; and will win trophies and cash prizes like in the past editions.
    It will be recalled that last year’s edition of the event was highly successful leading to basketball players clamouring for another event. The FIBA 3×3, which evolved from the street basketball, was introduced a few years ago by FIBA to increase awareness and entertainment value of the game is now an attractive sport amongst Nigerian youths.

  • NBBF calls up 27 players for Rio Olympics training camp

    NBBF calls up 27 players for Rio Olympics training camp

    The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Tuesday in Abuja released its preliminary list of 27 players invited to the men’s national team training camp ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games.

    NBBF President Tijani Umar, while unveiling the list at a media briefing, said the Federation had made efforts to ensure the best available players were considered for invitation to camp.

    He listed the players to include Ike Diogu, Jamal Olasewere, Michael Umeh, Chamberlain Oguchi, Benjamin Uzoh, Michael Gbinije and Olaseni Lawal.

    “Others are Al-farouq Aminu, AbdulWahab Aminu, Obinna Ogide, Stanley Okoye, Olumide Oyedeji, Ezeli Festus, Ofoegbu Ike, Braimoh Suleiman and Ibekwe Ekene.

    “The rest are Derrick Obasohan, Stanley Gumut, Usman Abubakar, Nwaelele Daniel, Josh Akognon, Udofia Mfon, Ere Ebi, Antetokounmpo Thanasis, Mbakwe Trevor, Udoh Ekpe and Campbell Folarin.’’

    Umar said the 28th player under consideration presently for the training camp was Victor Oladipo, who was yet to give NBBF his final word on playing for Nigeria.

    “He is yet to give us his final word on playing for us. But he had been in training camp with the U.S. and we learnt he has not made their final list. But we are still awaiting him,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian team, known as the D’Tigers, have qualified for the Olympics scheduled for Aug. 5 to Aug. 21 in in Rio, Brazil.

    They qualified as African champions after winning the 2015 Afrobasket in Tunisia.

    Umar said the players, who were a mixture of home-based and overseas-based players, were being expected to report to camp in Los Angeles or Bakersfield in the U.S. on June 27.

    “Our training camp schedule, which is tentative though, begins with the team’s Head Coach and technical staff engaging on players visitation from June 4 to June 25, ahead of the camp’s opening on June 27.

    “However, the visitation can still throw up a situation where new players would be invited to the camp. We are not ruling this out as we go along.

    “However, the invited players who are in the NBA will join camp on July 1 before the team flies out on July 3 to China.

    “In China, they will play in the Stankovic Cup from July 5 to July 10, which will have China, France and Argentina taking part,’’ he said.

    The NBBF president said the team then would likely head to Melbourne in Australia for games against the hosts on July 13 and July 15 or go to Las Vegas.

    “The team is scheduled to, in Las Vegas, take on Argentina on July 18 and Brazil on July 20, before returning to Los Angeles on July 21 to face China on July 22.

    “After this, the team will head to Houston on July 23 and take on the U.S. on Aug. 1, before flying to Brazil for the Olympics on Aug. 2,’’ he said.