14 July 2006
NIGERIA : Vmobile B/ball Play offs: Union Bank, Comets Clash
The much awaited play offs for the Vmobile Premier Basketball League jump-starts today with so much of battle cry in the air. And the expectations of basketball lovers are high as the opening game at the National Stadium; Lagos is a high level one with Vmobile Challenge champions Union Bank taking on former several league champions Ebun Comets.
The Union Bank coach, Emma Okolo who was online to THISDAY yesterday said his team was looking confidently at the very final stage of the play off series.
“The promise to our supporters is victory. We have worked very hard and there is nothing else to think of except victory,” he said as his team prepared for yet another work out at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Sports Complex.
The play offs became tighter with the adjustment of the format to final-4 instead of the original plan of final-6. By implication, it means that only two teams each will qualify from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences when this first stage rounds off. For the Union Bank team already banking on victory, the road becomes bumpier with the quality of opposition from the likes of Comets and Dodan Warriors.
“We understand their rating,” says Emma “but we can’t be worried by all that. I believe we have seen quite a lot of the teams and their players and we are not expecting anything so much extra-ordinarily new besides what we all went through during the regular season.
“But all the same, at this stage it demands utmost seriousness since it is a knockout stage, There is no second chance for any team and we are very much conscious of that.”
The Bankers managed to qualify for the Vmobile Challenge finals last year but went to win the trophy in Abuja and their opponents this afternoon have won the Premier severally since it began in 1995. No expert can predict the outcome of this match.
The first game is billed for 2.00pm while Dodan Warriors will play as the home team against Lagos Islanders in the second game billed for 4.00pm. And like the first game, it is also quite a tough one. The Warriors won the two games both teams played in the regular season.
THISDAY also learnt that a lot of schools have confirmed their willingness to be at the National Stadium through the two stages of the play offs in Lagos. Vmobile has invited 40 schools in Lagos for the events. By early yesterday some had called the Vmobile agents to confirm their participation and amongst them were Dansol High School and the Indian Community School
The Union Bank coach, Emma Okolo who was online to THISDAY yesterday said his team was looking confidently at the very final stage of the play off series.
“The promise to our supporters is victory. We have worked very hard and there is nothing else to think of except victory,” he said as his team prepared for yet another work out at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Sports Complex.
The play offs became tighter with the adjustment of the format to final-4 instead of the original plan of final-6. By implication, it means that only two teams each will qualify from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences when this first stage rounds off. For the Union Bank team already banking on victory, the road becomes bumpier with the quality of opposition from the likes of Comets and Dodan Warriors.
“We understand their rating,” says Emma “but we can’t be worried by all that. I believe we have seen quite a lot of the teams and their players and we are not expecting anything so much extra-ordinarily new besides what we all went through during the regular season.
“But all the same, at this stage it demands utmost seriousness since it is a knockout stage, There is no second chance for any team and we are very much conscious of that.”
The Bankers managed to qualify for the Vmobile Challenge finals last year but went to win the trophy in Abuja and their opponents this afternoon have won the Premier severally since it began in 1995. No expert can predict the outcome of this match.
The first game is billed for 2.00pm while Dodan Warriors will play as the home team against Lagos Islanders in the second game billed for 4.00pm. And like the first game, it is also quite a tough one. The Warriors won the two games both teams played in the regular season.
THISDAY also learnt that a lot of schools have confirmed their willingness to be at the National Stadium through the two stages of the play offs in Lagos. Vmobile has invited 40 schools in Lagos for the events. By early yesterday some had called the Vmobile agents to confirm their participation and amongst them were Dansol High School and the Indian Community School
# posted by afrbk : 10:31
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# posted by 
: 16/9/14 20:10
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