‘3×3 FIBA Africa Cup win confirms Nigeria’s continental status’
Nigerian senior men team’s victory at the maiden Men’s 3×3 FIBA Africa Cup is a further confirmation of the country’s leadership status in continental basketball, an official has said.
Ajibarede Bello, the Director of Kwese Basketball Premier League, said yesterday in Abuja that Nigeria’s success at the championship showed that the country is a continental force to reckon with.
On Sunday in Lome, Togo Nigeria’s men team won the male competition while the female team finished runners-up in their category.
“Nigeria’s men and women performance in the competition sends a definite message to d world that Nigeria is d powerhouse of basketball in Africa, that it has the human abundant human resources for it.
“Definitely, it is a good thing to the nation and I commend the teams for doing a great job,” Bello, who is in charge of the men’s basketball league, said.
On how Nigeria can extend its continental victory to the global arena, Bello said it was unfortunate that the lingering leadership tussle Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) was taking its toll.
He pointed out that the crisis was stopping the teams from doing better than they had done.
“The political structure of the federation should be put in order. I am sure the leadership tussle was the reason for missing the ultimate prize of FIBA AfroBasket for Men in Tunisia.
“This time around, in spite of winning FIBA AfroBasket for Women recently, Nigeria was unable to win the Women 3×3 FIBA Africa Cup,” Bello said. (NAN) in