Basketball
Nigeria’s Gabe Osabuohien lights up USA College basketball
Another Nigerian sports star is emerging in the US. He is Gabe Osabuohien who is standing at 6ft 8inches tall.
According to The Business Immigrant newspaper in Canada, Osabuohien is making big waves in USA College basketball, playing as a power forward for West Virginia Tech University.
He is the son of Kingsley and Roseline Osabuohien, immigrants from Nigeria. Gabe reportedly has just graduated in Communications Advertising and Sports Psychology and is now studying for his Master’s degree
The energy he brings off the bench on the defensive end of the floor is unmatched. The newspaper further reports that 22 -year-old Gabe, now one of the best defensive players in USA College basketball has his eyes on the NBA as a possible draft pick in 2022.
How the journey started
Osabuohien seems to have been born with basketball in his heart. Roseline, his mother recalls that Gabe used to turn almost every object into a basketball or a throwing toy. He just folds whatever is placed in his hands and tosses it in the air like a basketball.
The parents did not dismiss this intuition and they quickly registered him in Toronto Raptors Basketball Academy at six years old. His talents stood out and the rest is history.
One on one with Osabuohien
Gabe has some nuggets which can be applied not just to basketball but to the game of life.
What motivates me
“Being able to experience, and reach my current level of success Is a blessing. Growing up my coach always told me I have less than 2% chance of playing college basketball. Coming from a different country even lowered that further.
Just being able to look at where I come from and seeing where I am now motivates me to keep going. I want to create a better life for me and for those I love. I also desire to serve as motivation to the next upcoming immigrant kid or people looking up to me.
How to handle defeats
I handle defeats by bouncing back, I usually do not dwell on defeats for long. Once it hits midnight it is a new day. I try to use defeats as a learning experience I don’t call defeats losses I see them as lessons instead because we learn from them.
LeBron James and other role models
First LeBron James, someone who has always been the best basketball player in my eyes , seeing him develop into the legendary player he is now from a kid makes me appreciate his greatness
Second is the late Kobe Bryant because of his mentality and the will to be great. Kobe has the greatest mindset I’ve ever seen in attacking and giving 110%, every time
Dream big
My advise for younger or newer players is that they should have big goals and dreams. Then put in the work. You can never cheat the game of basketball. The work you put in when no one is looking is what will come to the light when it’s time to play.
It’s also important to stay humble and be submissive to all coaches. They want to win but they usually have the best interest of the players at heart.
Music, basketball, and more
Outside of basketball I love music and have grown to love it more. Just hearing people’s stories through their music and their lifestyle is uplifting for me.
I also enjoy trading stocks and binary options in the foreign exchange. I’m part of one of the best investment groups. We not only make money but help several others make money on a daily basis.
Nigeria and Africa
For sure, it would be a very nice experience to represent Nigeria in basketball someday. I have been able to play basketball at the highest level in college and high school and have met several players who came straight from Nigeria.
Nigeria is my original native land . Despite their many challenges, representing that country would be amazing.”
Latest news and what’s next?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), has just granted Osabuohien permission to capitalize on his name, image and brand and do endorsements. Businesses and brands in USA, Canada and abroad can now collaborate with Osabuohien to elevate their brands.
Osabuohien is certainly heading places. But he hasn’t forgotten his African roots. Big Mac and cheese might taste great but oxtail pepper soup is still his favourite treat!
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.
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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.
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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.
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