Basketball
BASKETBALL: MASAI UJIRI PRICKS GLOBAL CONSCIENCE WITH LAUNCH OF HUMANITY
The co-founder of Giants of Africa/President of the Toronto Raptors Masai Ujiri has launched an inspirational movement that should prick a lot of hearts across the globe. The new movement is basically on humanity.
Ujiri, who has been on the forefront of helping young basketballers in Africa hone their skills on the court and out of it defines humanity and explains how humans should live to the benefit of mankind in a three-minute video.
The ex-Nigeria international says, “Let me ask you something. What does humanity mean to you? For me it’s about seeing each other; really seeing. Trying to understand what someone else is going through; and helping if we can even if it is just giving a kind word; some encouragement. That’s humanity.
“When we are born, we are innocent. Our eyes are open; we see each other as human beings; as equals. Deep inside we know that we are a part of something big and that we are meant to come together. It’s who we are it is what we are: one people.
“We build our homes and our communities; join hands to create a world of comfort and peace where hope lives and opportunities breed.
“Bias and injustice have no place in the world we want for our children; we reject entitlement, we choose empowerment. Our traditions are important our differences must be respected.”
The video shot with the backdrop of late Nelson Madela’s speech also features shots of Masai with former American president, Barack Obama; some of the Giants of Africa camps and with family and friends amongst others.
Masai who has run the GOA camps across the continent for more than 15 years has always inspired the youngsters on the power of love, working together as a team; mutual respect, a explains the meaning of victory and winning with the launch of the humanity movement.
He adds, “I may not understand the song you sing but I can listen. When we work to protect what the other person values we reach our true potential as a people; as a planet. This is when we come together, this is when we win.
“This is what I want to reach a day when we see each other, really see the way we did the day when we first opened our eyes; nothing in the way, no bias, one people. That’s the day we remember what it is to be human knowing that each thing we do: a helping hand, a smile makes us part of something big.
That’s humanity to me.”
The Toronto Raptors president has devoted largely devoted to his out of the basketball life to a global work of charity and humanitarian benefits.
Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
Here is FIBA’s analysis: The return of the Tokyo Olympian has been a blessing for Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Nigeria.
For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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