Basketball in Africa

ORT HARCOURT (Camp) - No less than 80 players drawn from around Nigeria, Republic of Benin and Cote d’Ivoire are expected to be in Port-Harcourt for the 2009 edition of the Royal Hoopers Basketball Elite Camp.
Players are expected to arrive in Port Harcourt July 21st while the event starts in earnest the following day. The players who would have the opportunity of interacting with the renowned players and coaches will be taken through life skills, basketball basics and character moulding sessions that would prepare them for the future.

According to the elite camp co-ordinator Sam Ahmedu the list of 80 players invited for the camp includes members of the national U-18 team to last year’s FIBA Africa championship for U-18 men held in Alexandria, Egypt. The list includes Gift Achuwa, Moses Johnson (Royal Hoopers), Godwin Ikonsul (Cross Rivers), Hope Okojie, Godspower Igben (Lagos Islanders) and the duo of Seun Olarenwaju, Abayomi Oyeniyi (Dodan Warriors).
Some other players are Mohammed Buka of Dodan Warriors basketball club, Peter Odia, Nanu Agu (Police Bombers), Adeolu Ojo, Kaduna State, Obeten Christopher (unattached), Joseph Victor Junior PG (Warriors Academy), Owolabi Suleiman (Oyo State), Martins Okome, Erikefe Umukoro (Delta State) and Adindu Obinna Williams (Imo State) who are all guards. Players in the off guard position include Adewale Aladefa (Lagos State), Jonathan Odia, (Police Bombers), Ronald Alalibo (Bayelsa Waves), Jackson Namapele, Macarthur Finecountry, Moses
Fiberesima (Royal Hoopers) and Adeola Alade (Lagos State).

The elite camp is being organised by the Royal Hoopers Basketball Club in conjunction with Global Sports Advantage headed by its founder coach Alex Nwora - Head Coach of Erie Community College, Buffalo, New York. Also coming from America is basketball legend, Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald. The former NBA icon leads other foreign coaches like Jackie Knowles – Coach, USA; Tyrone M. Duren – Coach, USA; Myke Scholl – Assistant Coach Loyola Marymount University, USA and Josh Bland - Associate Head Coach University of Bridgeport. Former Nigerian internationals in the persons Godwin Owinje, Obinna Ekezie, Osita Nwachukwu and Tunji Awojobi are billed to feature.

The foreign coaches would be ably assisted by top home based tacticians in the game in the likes of Adeka Daudu and Mike Akuboh who is the assistant coach, at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.


By Pius Ayinor, FIBA Africa