17 March 2006
NIGERIA: Peace Tourney Hots Up
The Basketball for Peace, which began three weeks ago in Warri Delta State, will take on a new format this weekend with a 3on3 shootout for the over twenties.
According to the national coordinator for BB4P, Coach Oliver B Johnson, the programme will involve all basketball players in Warri and it's environ as a means of having everybody involved in the game of basketball.
'The potentials for growth of the game in Warri is great and the players must be comfortable in playing 3on3 after two weeks of full court play which so far has seen the Daudu Peace zone male team winning its two matches, the veteran coach revealed.
Coach OBJ, who has spent 35 years in Nigeria, is currently in the restive Delta trying to establish a Peace zone in conflict areas as a means of further achieving peace in Delta state using basketball as the focus for the youths in the areas.
So far, four full courts (peace zones) are in operation in Don Domingos College, Edjeba, Mereogun, Daudu and Sapele, while the Ugbori/Ekurede court will come into operation this week.
Already, one half court has been established at the Miller Waterside while awaiting approval from the Nigerian Customs for the full court since the site falls within its property.
Half courts are expected to be established in other parts of the city close to the first Marine Gate and along water Resources Road, as well as any community that wants to buy into the project.
The BB4P project sponsored by the USAID under its Conflict Abatement Through Local Mitigation programme is aimed at getting the youths of conflict areas to understand that conflicts can be managed through dialogue, that education is vital for personal and environmental development.
The programme began four weeks ago with a four-day conflict resolution seminar attended by over 40 youths drawn from across Warri, Sapele and the creeks.The basketball for Peace Initiative has already being established in four other states, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and Rivers States.
Delta is the fifth state in this first phase of the programme aimed at making youths the fulcrum of everlasting peace within the country.
According to the national coordinator for BB4P, Coach Oliver B Johnson, the programme will involve all basketball players in Warri and it's environ as a means of having everybody involved in the game of basketball.
'The potentials for growth of the game in Warri is great and the players must be comfortable in playing 3on3 after two weeks of full court play which so far has seen the Daudu Peace zone male team winning its two matches, the veteran coach revealed.
Coach OBJ, who has spent 35 years in Nigeria, is currently in the restive Delta trying to establish a Peace zone in conflict areas as a means of further achieving peace in Delta state using basketball as the focus for the youths in the areas.
So far, four full courts (peace zones) are in operation in Don Domingos College, Edjeba, Mereogun, Daudu and Sapele, while the Ugbori/Ekurede court will come into operation this week.
Already, one half court has been established at the Miller Waterside while awaiting approval from the Nigerian Customs for the full court since the site falls within its property.
Half courts are expected to be established in other parts of the city close to the first Marine Gate and along water Resources Road, as well as any community that wants to buy into the project.
The BB4P project sponsored by the USAID under its Conflict Abatement Through Local Mitigation programme is aimed at getting the youths of conflict areas to understand that conflicts can be managed through dialogue, that education is vital for personal and environmental development.
The programme began four weeks ago with a four-day conflict resolution seminar attended by over 40 youths drawn from across Warri, Sapele and the creeks.The basketball for Peace Initiative has already being established in four other states, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and Rivers States.
Delta is the fifth state in this first phase of the programme aimed at making youths the fulcrum of everlasting peace within the country.
# posted by afrbk : 13:14
