Basketball in Africa

Pius Ayinor
Lagos

The Plateau Peaks of Jos late Sunday became the very first champions of the Vmobile Premier League. And in beating Dodan Warriors 71-63 at the National Stadium, Lagos, they not only won the Vmobile League but set a lot of records in the process.

The Vmobile League held in its very first season this term as the edition played last year was only a challenge competition and aptly named the Vmobile Challenge and which was won by Union Bank Club. The first league proper ended Sunday night in Lagos with Plateau Peaks emerging champions.

And if as they have been named the first champions, they are also champions forever as the Vmobile league has definitely held for the first and only season with the Vmobile brand officially changing to Celtel with effect from this morning. The league automatically becomes Celtel Premier Basketball League. And with the re-branding it means the Vmobile title would rest forever with the Jos-based champions.

The Peaks also broke a 10-year-old jinx as no Savannah Conference side had ever won the league since 1995 - the last time Niger Potters coached by Fred Oniga with Peter Wonder Boy Odaudu as captain.

The flagship league of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) since then was dominated exclusively by Ebun Comets and Lagos Islanders until last year when the Challenge edition went to Union Bank.

The Peaks match against Dodan Warriors was advertised to be a serious battle and the game was as exciting as expected. Both teams won two quarters each but the final result was determined by the difference in the points made. Peaks took the first quarter 25-14 while Warriors took the second 16-12.

After the break Dodan Warriors won the third by 25-19 but the difference 15-8 victory of Peaks in the last quarter was enough to crown them champions.

"They had the advantage of playing with their full team but we didn't get that," Dodan Warriors co-ordinator Sam Ahmedu said after the match.

"So they simply had the advantage with our players in South Africa representing Nigeria. But the timetable was intentionally drawn to favour the Savannah teams. They wanted a Savannah Conference team to win the league and that is why they refused to shift the date," he alleged.

But the NBBF League Director Muktar Khaleh explained the brand change was part of the reason the date was not moved.

"We could not be playing Vmobile League in the time of Celtel," he said.The Comets defeated Niger Potters 68-59 to win the third spot in the final play off.

The final weekend witnessed a lot of side action with Jazzman Olofin performing live amongst others artistes through the event. The NBBF President and Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service Jacob Buba Gyang was at the event as Chief host.

The next season has been fixed to jump off by November and run through May 2007.
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