The male and female U18 national basketball teams of Nigeria arrived in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday as they prepare to participate in the FIBA U18 qualifying tournament. The tournament is scheduled to take place from July 29 to August 4, with the first match set to start today in Abidjan.
At the time of this press release, the exact schedule of the matches had not been finalized. A pre-competition meeting was scheduled to take place last night to decide the fixtures.
While the Olympic Games continue in Paris, France, these young Nigerian basketball players see this tournament as an opportunity to develop their skills, win games, and ultimately qualify for a bigger competition in South Africa. Their ultimate goal is to represent the DTigers and DTigress teams.
Prior to their trip to Abidjan, both the boys and girls teams trained for two weeks in Nigeria. The Nigeria Basketball Federation is committed to the development of young talent and has been supporting youth programs consistently.
Ugo Udezue, the Leader of Delegation and Vice Chairman of the Youth Committee on the Board of the NBBF, expressed the federation’s focus on their developmental goals. He extended his gratitude to Musa Kida, the President of NBBF, for creating an enabling environment and to all the individuals who volunteered their time and resources to bring the teams to Abidjan.
“We are grateful to the Ministry of Sports Development and the Nigerian government for providing this platform to these young athletes. They truly understand the objectives of the NBBF,” Ugo said.
Despite the challenges of preparing the teams and organizing the trip from Lagos to Abidjan, the federation remains determined to stay focused on the goals of youth development. The continuous development of young talent is vital for the sustainability of Nigerian basketball, Ugo emphasized.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation has been successful in sustaining the men’s Division One and Two Leagues through corporate sponsorship. Many players in the Division Two league are teenagers who represent schools across the country.
The boys U18 team in Abidjan consists of Bassey Ekpo Effiong, Abraham Boyce Hart, Sani Samuel, Azeez Suleiman Olaitan, Daubuna Ibrahimdau-Mutum, John Wilberforce, and Precious Johha. The rest of the team includes Duru Augustine Chinedu, Kpee Favour Komene, Jovan Ojako Chiebuka, Favour Ibe Ikedinachukwu, and Ezekiel Isaac Oluwatemitope.
The girls’ team includes Tewogbade Ayomide, Gbemisola Samuel, Khadijat Garba, Amarachi Umeh, Chiamaka Mgbon, Osaretin Samuel, Chiamaka Iwuji, and Olanrewaju Ayodeji. The remaining players are Pius Idubawo Beggi, Maryam Idris, Wandoo Hembam, and Isaac Abigail.
Fubara Onyanabo is coaching the U18 boys’ team, while former national point guard Juliana Akhere is in charge of the young ladies.
The top teams from the zonal qualifiers in Ivory Coast will advance to the African finals, which are scheduled to take place in South Africa later this year.
