Basketball in Africa

Long serving technical director of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ayo Bakare has voluntarily relinquished his position and subsequently withdrawn his active participation in matters relating to the administration of the sport in the country.
In a crowded press conference in Lagos yesterday, the coach who took Nigeria to the London Olympics said, "after due consideration of my personal commitments at this time, I have decided to withdraw my role as the technical director of the NBBF."
Meanwhile, the former Nigeria Basketball team national coach re said a bright future awaits basketball in Nigeria going by the performance of kid players in the just concluded Youth Alive Community Basketball competition.
Bakare, a former D'Tigers Basketball boss spoke at the closing ceremony of the Honeywell-sponsored competition which took place at the Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos, at the weekend.
Del Basketball team clinched the first position in the U-16 Boys category, while Zion and Deepbond teams maintained the second and third position respectively.
Describing the competition as a huge success, Bakare said the game will improve tremendously if government gives it proper attention.
He, however, lauded the initiative of Honeywell for keeping faith in the sponsorship of the competition aimed at identifying and building talents.
He was highly impressed at the performance of the kids, saying it gives hope that there is a brighter future for basketball in Nigeria.
"Also, Honeywell is doing a great job in keeping faith to sponsor this basketball competition where others have failed. It is a welcome development that should be sustained for the growth of the game in Nigeria", he said.
Responding, Managing Director, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola, said "in efforts to make the society feel our impacts, we have made basketball a choice, not just to discover talents, but also to build talents.
Beyond that, it is also to remove the youths from the streets, from social vices and make them have a direction to realize a dream by building a career"