Basketball in Africa

Following the formal unveiling of the Warriors Basketball Academy in 2005 at the Sports Arena and Leisure Centre, Ilupeju, Lagos, the National Basketball Association (NBA) in collaboration with Sprite have assisted the Warriors Basketball Programme to refurbish its basketball court at the center.

When commissioned, apart from serving as training center for the Academy, the court will also be opened to members of the community at large.

Two NBA officials, which include Masai Ujiri of the Denver Nuggets, will be leading former NBA Star (Sam Perkins) and a WNBA player (Ruth Riley) of the Detroit Shocks and member of the USA female Olympic team for the commissioning of the court which will also feature clinics for Nigerian youths in two age categories (10 – 16 years and 16-19 years) and an exhibition games for veterans and a game between the Warriors Academy and the Junior National team (Junior Tigers).

Ruth Riley is also part of the NBA delegation to Lagos, courtesy of the World Health Organization (WHO) where she will be conducting the “Nothing but Net Programme”, a world wide malaria prevention programme aimed at eradication the scourge in the developing world.

After successfully hosting the 21st Africa Champions Cup for Men recently, the Warriors once again add another feather to their cap by being recognized and supported by the NBA in this project. This is not a surprise as the Warriors Basketball Programme continues to produce young players who are holding their own world wide.

Players like Abdullahi Kuso (Gonzaga University), Dinma Odiakosa (Illinois State University), Michael Eric (Palmgate High School) and Dele Coker are few examples of Warriors players from the Academy and the main team doing well in the NCAA in the USA. Also the club, which came 3rd at the last Africa Club Championship which it hosted, has five players in the Junior Tigers which won the last African Junior Championship and will represent Africa at the World Junior Championship in Canada in July 2007.

Warriors Coordinator, Col Sam Ahmedu (Rtd) calls on all basketball stake holders to witness the Court commissioning. He has also requested all our youths, particularly the schools whose players have been invited for the clinics to kindly release their players to enable them improve their basketball skills from acquiring knowledge from the NBA and Nigerian coaches who will run the clinics.

The Nigerian coaches include Adeka Daudu (Junior Tigers), George Berefoiri (American International School), Peter Ahmedu (Warriors Academy), Sylvester James (Dolphins), Adewunmi Aderemi (First Bank) and Emmanuel Okolo (Union Bank).
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