Basketball
D’TIGERS STAR DISTRIBUTES COVID-19 RELIEF MATERIALS
D’Tigers player, Kelechi Anuna on Sunday donated Covid-19 relief materials to people in his home town, Mbieri in Imo state.
The member of the 2017 silver winning Afrobasket team said the initiative was part of his own way of helping the less privileged get by through the tough time occasioned by the pandemic.
“We distributed food and covid-19 materials through my foundation, Kelechi Anuna Foundation on Sunday. This was part of our plans to take the message of one-big family and survival to the people of Mbieri.”
He believes governments at various levels cannot be left alone at this crucial time due to the non-existing structure for palliatives to be evenly distributed, hence good spirited Nigerians should also get involved.
“Although, I have been doing this since the coronavirus became a major issue in Nigeria as I tried in reaching out to people on individual basis, but this time around, I embarked on a bigger project to help more people.”
He admitted that with the current situation in the country, more Nigerians need to step up and help.
“Many people in Nigeria are in dire need of help. When I read or hear stories about people not being able to feed their immediate family members, I get disturbed. My effort is just a drop in the ocean because of the poverty level in Nigeria.”
Anuna said Nigerians are resilient people who have faced worse situations in the past as he stated that, “if we all come together as a people, the Covid-19 pandemic will be defeated in no time.”
By Ugo Okeiyi, Enugu
The end-of-year Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational Tournament, tagged “Championing the Youth Through Sports, Education and Opportunity,” has taken off and will be concluded on Friday. The three-day event is taking place at the Indoor Sports Multipurpose Gymnasium, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
The grassroots basketball competition is designed to serve as a platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian basketball talent.
A total of 14 teams — eight male and six female sides drawn from across the country — are competing for honours in what promises to be an exciting three-day basketball spectacle.
The tournament is powered by the Anthony Ozubuekwe Foundation, in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry for Youth and Sports Development and the Enugu State Basketball Association.
Organisers say fans should expect high-quality action, with displays of skill, athleticism and tactical awareness from some of the most promising young players in the country.
According to the organisers, the initiative is structured to positively engage young people, steering them away from social vices and criminal tendencies, while using sports as a tool for education, personal development and opportunity creation.
They added that the tournament will also give coaches and team officials a valuable opportunity to assess the mental readiness, discipline and competitive mindset of the players, while providing a conducive environment for athletes to interact, bond and learn from one another.
The competition will be played in a round-robin format, with attractive prize money on offer. In the men’s category, the champions will receive ₦2 million and a giant trophy, while the runners-up will earn ₦1.5 million.
In the women’s category, the winning team will go home with ₦1.5 million, while the second-placed team will receive ₦750,000.
With its blend of competition, youth empowerment and community development, the Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational is expected to be one of the standout grassroots sports events of the year in Enugu State.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Former head coach of Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, Alex Nwora, will join family, friends and well-wishers on December 28, 2025, to celebrate the 90th birthday of his father, Chief Charles Okwudi Nworah, in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The milestone celebration, according to Evelyn Childs, Public Relations Officer of the US-based Imo Women Elite Club (IWEC), will take place at the expansive Onitsha compound of the nonagenarian, who is highly regarded in his community.
Born on April 17, 1936, to Akudo and Agnes Nwora of the Okakwu family in Ogbedogwu Village, Onitsha, Chief Nworah’s early years reflected strong family values rooted in education and public service. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School before moving on to Prince Commercial College, and later completed his secondary education at Baptist High School, Osogbo, in Osun State.
Chief Nworah began his career in the civil service at a young age with the Post and Telecommunications Service (P&T), where his father also served and retired as a senior manager. His professional journey continued seamlessly into Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) following the merger of P&T with the Nigerian External Telecommunications.
Alex Nwora, who led D’Tigers through notable periods of growth and international competition, is expected to play a central role in the celebration, which will bring together members of the extended Nwora family and the Onitsha community to honour the life and legacy of the elder statesman.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours on all members of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, in recognition of their historic victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Each member of the team was decorated with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) title at a special reception held on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Representing the president at the event was Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced a series of generous rewards for the champions.
In addition to the national honours, each player will receive $100,000, while each member of the technical crew will be given $50,000. The government also pledged a flat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to every player and official on the squad.
The rewards follow D’Tigress’s emphatic 78-64 win over Mali in Sunday’s AfroBasket final, played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan. The victory marked Nigeria’s fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, a feat unmatched in the tournament’s history. With the triumph, D’Tigress also secured an automatic berth to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
President Tinubu, in his remarks delivered by Vice President Shettima, hailed the team’s resilience, determination, and consistency, describing their dominance on the continental stage as a symbol of national pride and inspiration to the youth.
Present at the reception were First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, Garba Maidoki, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youths and Sports Development, and Kabiru Amadou, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports.
The honours and incentives underscore the government’s renewed commitment to recognising excellence in sports and motivating future champions.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup6 days ago
FIFA Cancels Thousands of Hotel Rooms in World Cup Host Cities Amid U.S. Immigration Concerns
- MLS1 week ago
Messi scores 900th career goal, joins Ronaldo in elite club
- World Cup2 days ago
World Cup Fans, Players And Officials Face $15,000 Visa Bonds to Enter U.S.
- World Cup4 days ago
Absent Giants: Big Football Nations Missing from the 2026 World Cup
- CAF Champions League5 days ago
Ten-man Zamalek hold on in dramatic Otoho clash to reach semi-finals
- AFCON6 days ago
Guinea FA Dismisses ‘Walkout’ Claims in 1976 AFCON Clash with Morocco
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
NFF Extraordinary Congress to Set Stage for September Elections in Yenagoa
- CAF Champions League6 days ago
Champions League holders Pyramids and record winners Al Ahly stunned in quarters