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D’TIGERS’ FINAL WORLD CUP LIST DIFFICULT TO PICK SAYS COACH NWORA

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With just 16 days to the commencement of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, D’Tigers Head Coach, Alex Nwora says picking the last 12 players from the 15 players left in camp will be the hardest job to do.

Speaking to journalists after the team’s first training session in Lagos, Nwora said despite all the 44 players on the preliminary list being good enough to be at the world cup, the Technical Crew can only pick 12 players to represent the country.

“The players that have lasted this long are those I think can help us to put up a good fight at the world cup. All the people we invited to camp can really play, but unfortunately, we have to go with the best and we are still figuring that out the 12 we can put on the floor for our first game against Russia.”

For him, being in camp since 7th of July and playing 4 grade A friendlies with fellow world cup bound teams has been very productive as he thanked the NBBF board led by Engr. Musa Kida for the usual support.

“At this point, the preparation we have embarked upon since the 7th of July has been very productive for us. I want to thank the federation and the president, Engr Nusa Kida for making it possible to start our preparations earlier.”

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Despite targeting a podium finish, Nwora is not carried away by the ranking recently released by experts which placed the team in number eight spot out of the 32 nations expected to compete.

“Ranking means little for me. We have a goal of being one of the teams on the podium at the end of the tournament. Ranking is great, but that is not where we want to be. We want to be number one if we can and that is what we are working towards.”

He said the rating which has thrown many people into a state of frenzy is nothing but just the result of the permutation of few people which is not in any way reflective of his mission in China.

“The ranking is just for egos.  We appreciate it, but that is not our goal. We won’t take anybody for granted. We will go there and fight and make Nigerians proud.”

The coach said his wards are focused on the task ahead which is representing the country well in line with its new found status amongst basketball playing nations.

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D’Tigers are paired alongside Argentina, Russia and Korea in Group B and will play all their group games in Wuhan.

The World Cup starts on Saturday, 31st of August.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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God wins with Godwin Enakhena as MFM are crowned NBBF-Zenith Women’s Basketball Champions

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Dr. Daniel Olukoya and Godwin Enakhena

Godwin Enakhena, a multi-tasked journalist and sports administrator has expressed great happiness as one of his pet tasks has yielded fruits.

He is the man behind the scenes as the MFM Women’s basketball team again emerged as the NBBF-Zenith women’s Basketball League champions.

It is a back-to-back victory and the team will represent Nigeria at the West African zonal qualifiers for the continental championship. They are joined by runners-up, Customs for the Zone 3 competition holding in Liberia from  29 October.

The founder of Christian Ministry that owns the sports outfit, Dr Daniel Olukoya is excited about the feat of the club and has promised his continued support.

It is gathered that youth empowerment through sports is one of the clergyman’s 70-point youth repositioning agenda.

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He’s happy that his support has taken the girls out of the streets and got them involved in profitable ventures.

Enakhena narrates the hidden story of the MFM Women’s Basketball Club. “When I birthed this dream about six years ago, it was to key into the vision of MFM General Overseer’s 70-point youth repositioning agenda.

“He spends millions of naira on 70 different projects for the youths and sports happens to be one.

“From free tuition to free accommodation and other empowerment programmes etc. “

“As my name implies, (Godwin), I like to win always because I give anything I do my all, and I mean my very best and I leave the rest to God.

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“I thank Dr Olukoya and his wife for this, the players who are the most important persons, the coaches and other backroom staff, my colleagues in the media for your support. I won’t forget all my well-wishers. Power to the Girl-Child. God bless you all.”

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Nigeria Defence Chief’s Basketball Championship aims at civilian- military cooperation

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In preparation for the Chief of Defence Staff Independence Day Basketball Championship, Brigadier General Aliyu Abdullahi (rtd), Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, has highlighted the objectives of the event.

According to him, it is aimed at  fostering Civil-Military cooperation and Inter-Agency collaboration.

The championship, set to take place from October 2 to October 6 at the Mo Arena in Abuja’s Zone 5, aims to engage Nigerian youths positively and contribute to enhancing security through a non-kinetic approach.

He emphasized the importance of the competition in providing a platform for Nigerian youths from across the country to participate in a constructive activity. He noted that the Chief of Defence Staff, General C.G. Musa OFR, a passionate basketball player himself, believes that organizing such competitions can help cultivate the interest of Nigerian youths in the sport.

Additionally, it offers them a legitimate means of livelihood and the opportunity to showcase their talents on the international stage, thereby bringing accolades to Nigeria.

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The championship will feature 16 teams representing the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, promising an exciting display of basketball skills and teamwork.

Brigadier General Abdullahi expressed confidence that the competition will not only promote sportsmanship but also serve as a deterrent against negative behaviours such as crime, drug abuse, and other forms of delinquency among the youth.

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Angola’s Petro De Luanda Wins 2024 Basketball Africa League Championship

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2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Champion Petro de Luanda (Angola) (Credit: BAL/Getty Images)

Petro de Luanda Becomes First Sub-Saharan African Team to Win BAL Finals (BAL.NBA.com); Libya’s Al Ahly Ly Forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. Named 2024 BAL Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Angola’s Petro de Luanda this Sunday defeated Libya’s Al Ahly Ly 107-94 to win the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship, which took place at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda and reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages.  Petro de Luanda, the 2022 BAL runner-up and one of two teams to have participated in all four BAL seasons, is the first sub-Saharan African team to win the BAL Finals after previous champions from Egypt and Tunisia.
 
Following the game, BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and President of FIBA Africa Anibal Manave presented Petro de Luanda with the BAL Championship Trophy and Al Ahly Ly forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. with The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for winning the 2024 BAL Most Valuable Player Award and The Dikembe Mutombo Trophy for winning 2024 BAL Defensive Player of the Year. 
 
Petro de Luanda went 5-2 during the Kalahari Conference group phase in Pretoria, South Africa, and the Playoffs, defeating Senegal’s AS Douanes and South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the Finals.  Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers defeated the Cape Town Tigers 80-57 in the third-place game yesterday.
 
Lual-Acuil Jr. is also the 2024 BAL Scoring Champion and was named to the 2024 All-BAL First Team and All-BAL Defensive Team after leading Al Ahly Ly to a 5-4 record during the Nile Conference group phase in Cairo, Egypt, and the Playoffs, recording per game averages of 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
 
Several former NBA players attended games throughout the 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals, including BAL Ambassadors and NBA Africa investors Luol Deng (South Sudan), Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon); 2015 NBA champion Festus Ezeli (Nigeria), and New York Knicks President of G League Operations Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Ghana).
 
The BAL has also announced the 2024 Coach of the Year, Sportsmanship Award winner, All-BAL First Team, All-BAL Defensive Team, and Ubuntu Award winner.  The voting panels varied for each award and were comprised of fans, coaches, team captains, media, broadcasters, and scouts.
 
2024 BAL Coach of the Year
Rivers Hoopers head coach Odaudu Ogoh led his team to a third-place finish with a 6-3 record during the Sahara Conference group phase in Dakar, Senegal, and the Playoffs.
 
2024 BAL Sportsmanship Award
Rivers Hoopers point guard Will Perry received The Manute Bol Trophy for exemplifying the ideals of sportsmanship and camaraderie.  Perry was also named to the 2024 All-BAL First Team.
 
2024 All-BAL First TeamPositionPlayerTeamPoint GuardWill PerryRivers HoopersGuardSamkelo CeleCape Town TigersGuardChris CrawfordUS MonastirForwardJo Lual-Acuil Jr.Al Ahly LyForward / CenterAliou DiarraFUS Rabat Basketball  
2024 All-BAL Defensive TeamPositionPlayerTeamPoint GuardSouleyman DiabateAl Ahly LyGuardSamkelo CeleCape Town TigersGuardAbdoulaye HarounaAS DouanesForwardJo Lual-Acuil Jr.Al Ahly LyForward / CenterAliou DiarraFUS Rabat Basketball  
2024 BAL Ubuntu Award
AS Douanes guard and team captain Alkaly Ndour won the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Award in recognition of his ongoing efforts to use the game of basketball to positively impact the lives of youth in his native Senegal.  Ndour is the founder of “Kayelennioufo” (which translates to “Let’s have fun”), a basketball tournament for nearly 250 amateur players in his home neighbourhood of Bopp in Dakar.  Ndour was presented with the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Trophy during an on-court ceremony on May 25 in conjunction with Africa Day.

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