Ilela, Auta are MVPS as North East Elite Basketball Camp ends

• Adamu Yola Ture Foundation pledges more opportunities for kids

THE North East Elite Basketball Camp for kids ended at the weekend with Bello Ibrahim Ilela and Judith Justus Auta emerging as the Most Valuable Players ( boys) and ( girls) respectively.

In the last man standing contest, Hanina Agnes won the girls’ category, while Salim Moh’d Bashir ( Team Adamu Yola) won the boys’ category.

Rayyan Salis from Taraba State won the three points contest in the boys’ category, as well as the dunk contest, while Rejoice Phaveno won the three points challenge for girls.

The three- day event featured 100 children from the states in the North East, who were exposed to some of the latest basketball drills and techniques by internationally acclaimed coaches, led by D’tigers Associate Head Coach, Alex Nwora. Organised by the Adamu Yola Ture Foundation in conjunction with Jordan Nwora Foundation, the camp had training sessions fused with entertainment.

Speaking at the end of the event, Nwora, who was accompanied to Gombe by Natasha Cummings- Price ( Head Coach, Eriee Women Basketball team), renowned FIBA instructor, Nick Sepe, as well as D’tigress Assistant Head Coach, Peter Ahmedu, expressed satisfaction with the quality of talents at the event, adding, “They are naturally talented, but it is obvious they are still at a very raw stage because of lack exposure to quality camps and training.”

He said coming to the region was not just for the kids, but for the coaches, who will stay with the kids even when the camp ends. “There is a need to also empower the coaches to build on what they are currently doing. Although we hope to make this an annual event, more camps and opportunities should be given to these kids.”

Representative of the Adamu Yola Ture Foundation, Yakubu Adamu Yola, said they intend to make the event a biennial affair with more kids given an opportunity to blossom. “We hope that we will be able to work with Jordan Nwora Foundation to get scholarships for kids, who have been excellent during the three- day camp held at the Gombe State Indoor Sports Hall.” Present during the closing ceremony were the Principal Private Secretary to the Gombe State Government, Alhaji Usman Kamala, and Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Batari Maji Dauda, amongst other dignitaries.