Basketball in Africa

by Pius Ayinor
Lagos

The national Under 16 boys and girls basketball teams are billed to leave Lagos by road tomorrow for Cotonou, Benin Republic. The players are to feature in the Africa Zone 3 qualifying tournament leading to the African final stage holding early next in yet to be announced venue.

The event in Benin Republic is billed to start on Thursday and run through September 4th while teams depart on the 5th.

The Secretary of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Mr. Francis Gbiri told THISDAYSports that everything was in place for the teams to travel.
"They should be in Lagos by tomorrow (today) and leave on Wednesday. We leave by road to Cotonou and I can say that the teams are in high spirit and eager to perform well," Gbiri said.
The final lists of players were drawn after more than three weeks of camping and screening in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The screening exercise was carried out by the six coaches, the senior national team coach Ayo Bakare, NBBF Chairman Technical Committee Dr. Adamu Ahmed and League Director and FIBA Africa Zone 3 President Muktar Malone Khaleh and the Atlantic Conference coordinator Babs Ogunade.

The final team list for the U16 Girls reads: Chukwuedo Emmanuella (Asaba), Enyinnaya Linda (Aba), Achimba Linda, Eluemoku Sandra Oby (Delta), Ugoka Ujunwa(Lagos), Ugha Sarah Akpezi (Lagos) and Awobajo Emmanuella (Kaduna). The list also includes Gede Num Mbawuese (Lessel), Alabi Toluwaloju (Kaduna), Amos Blessing, Udobi Sandra (Kano), Okunlola Yetunde (Abeokuta) and Imovbioh Sarah (Abuja).

The coach is Aderemi Adewunmi and will be assisted by the pair of Angela Nzekwe, and Peter Ahmedu.
The U-16 Boys roster has Owolabi Sulaiman (Ibadan), Oloche Michael (Jos), Yamsat Naanma (Jos), Yarkwaiu Daniel (Kaduna), Zanna Nura (Kaduna), Ikima Sesugh (Makurdi), Usman Baba (Minna), Odia Peter (Lagos) and Obekpa Chris (Makurdi). The others are Owolabi Seyi (Ibadan), Igho Innocent (Jos), Joseph Victor and Alade Adeola.
They will be led by coach Adamu Kuta Abdul and assisted by Bartholomew Francis and Sabo Gwadabe.