Basketball in Africa

By Eddie Akalonu
Coach of Dolphin female basketball club of Lagos, Ochuko Okworogun, has said her team will not be push overs in the African club champions Cup for women competition in Tunisia holding November 28 through December 7.
Speaking in Lagos as her team finalizes preparations for the event, she expressed delight at players response to training, saying that they are good to fight for a place in the top ranks. We will definitely be fighters, not mere participants, she said.
Dolphin emerged champions of Zone-3 in Burkina Faso, relegating First Bank to second place although both clinched the FIBA Africa Zonal tickets for the continental finals against teams including champions Inter Club of Angola, USIU Flames and KPA of Kenya (Zone 5), INJS of Cameroon, and INSS of Democratic Republic of Congo (Zone 4), US Beau Bassin of Mauritius (zone 7) and CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, the host club. Senegal and others.
Dolphin, who took a week off on return from the zonal finals will not witness any change in the squad as Coach Ochuko said her side would remain the same as the squad that played the zonal competition. "We are aware it is a competition that has traditional teams and former winners who are packed with experience, we will not let that worry us because we proved ourselves against some of the best in the zonal play-offs.. Though Dolphin players lack the kind of experience and exposure other teams have, we are more than determined to play knowing it is going to be tougher.
"However, we will give our best out there. One thing I am promising is that Dolphin will not play as outsiders but as real contenders.
"We are preparing ourselves to be fit mentally and psychologically. We won't disgrace Nigeria. Rather we are going to lift our game high and earn some respect in the continent and come back home with our heads high," she said."
Meanwhile, Nigeria's other team First Bank has set a target to win the title for a third tim, according to Coach Aderemi Adewunmi. First Bank won the crown in 2003 and 2009. According to Aderemi, "our aim is to lift our game and make our management and country proud. Our target is to gun for the African title once more."