20 July 2006
NIGERIA : Vmobile League: Carnival Ushers Teams into Kaduna
Carnival, road show and a lot of fanfare have been lined up to usher the Vmobile Premier Basketball League teams into Kaduna for the second leg of the 2006 play off series. The Savannah Conference teams are billed to open their contest tomorrow at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in kaduna.
By the arrangement on ground, the organisers of the league have put on ground programmes that will liven up the entire city of Kaduna into a carnival-like atmosphere all through the days of the competition which run from Friday through Sunday.
"The road show team left Lagos on yesterday for and so by tomorrow (today) they should start work. The idea is to senticize the people of Kaduna; drum up awareness for the event and above all make the competition a lively one for every family," a member of the championship organising team told THISDAY.
When the Lagos leg of the event held last weekend, some road shows were also done in Lagos and the organisers equally allowed students to enjoy the ambience of the championship venue.
Kano Pillars who are expected in Kaduna today will battle Niger Potters, Plateau Peaks and Bauchi Nets for the two tickets available to the conference.
But as the Vmobile League play off hot up in Nigeria, the managers of the national team camping in Las Vegas, USA have cried out to Sports Ministry for funds. A member of the team explained that cash crunch could derail some of their plans.
"We are billed to move to Turkey for a tournament but I don't know how far we can go now with that unless we get more funds.
"I know the Sports Ministry was supposed to assist in this camping process but we are yet to hear from them money-wise," he said.
The team nicknamed The Tigers are preparing for the 2006 FIBA World Championship holding in Japan from August 19 to September 3.
Whereas the senior players in the USA are craving for cash the handlers of the junior team in Lagos getting ready for the African Championship holding in South Africa next week are craving for attention. The assistant coach of the team Masai Ujiri hinted that the players deserved more attention.
"May be nobody believes in this team yet. That is why nobody is talking about them except for those camping in the USA and the league play-off here. But these players deserve a better deal," he jocularly pleaded.
The Junior Tigers would battle the rest of Africa for a place in the 2007 championship fixed for Canada.
By the arrangement on ground, the organisers of the league have put on ground programmes that will liven up the entire city of Kaduna into a carnival-like atmosphere all through the days of the competition which run from Friday through Sunday.
"The road show team left Lagos on yesterday for and so by tomorrow (today) they should start work. The idea is to senticize the people of Kaduna; drum up awareness for the event and above all make the competition a lively one for every family," a member of the championship organising team told THISDAY.
When the Lagos leg of the event held last weekend, some road shows were also done in Lagos and the organisers equally allowed students to enjoy the ambience of the championship venue.
Kano Pillars who are expected in Kaduna today will battle Niger Potters, Plateau Peaks and Bauchi Nets for the two tickets available to the conference.
But as the Vmobile League play off hot up in Nigeria, the managers of the national team camping in Las Vegas, USA have cried out to Sports Ministry for funds. A member of the team explained that cash crunch could derail some of their plans.
"We are billed to move to Turkey for a tournament but I don't know how far we can go now with that unless we get more funds.
"I know the Sports Ministry was supposed to assist in this camping process but we are yet to hear from them money-wise," he said.
The team nicknamed The Tigers are preparing for the 2006 FIBA World Championship holding in Japan from August 19 to September 3.
Whereas the senior players in the USA are craving for cash the handlers of the junior team in Lagos getting ready for the African Championship holding in South Africa next week are craving for attention. The assistant coach of the team Masai Ujiri hinted that the players deserved more attention.
"May be nobody believes in this team yet. That is why nobody is talking about them except for those camping in the USA and the league play-off here. But these players deserve a better deal," he jocularly pleaded.
The Junior Tigers would battle the rest of Africa for a place in the 2007 championship fixed for Canada.
# posted by afrbk : 17:55
