Taking basketball to new heights
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Though subvention to the sports federations was late in coming from the National Sports Commission (NSC), one federation that has boasted it achieved its cardinal objective in the first quarter of the year is the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
The feat is not just in getting its 2010/2011 DSTV/NBBF Men’s Basketball League to dunk off but securing increased sponsorship money for it when some other federations were unable to carry out any activity because of lack of fund.Multichoice, owners of DSTV, started the sponsorship of the league three years ago with N40 million and last season invested N46 million and have increased it to N50 million this season.
The Managing Director of the company, Joseph Hundah, had at the beginning of this season said that DSTV was investing in basketball in the country to make it the second most recognised sport after football and would continue to increase the sponsorship money if the federation continues to organise it well.
Officials of NBBF thus ensured that the competition started in both the Savannah and Atlantic conferences on Jan. 30 with eight clubs in each conference.
So far, fans have applauded the organisation and officiating of the nine-week-old league, saying the match officials have been fair.
Coach Lateef Erinfolami of Lagos Islander Basketball Club said all the officials had been fair and kept to the rules of the game.
``This is healthy for the development of the sport and a classic example for referees.
``Officials in other sports should take a cue from this,” Erinfolami advised.
In his assessment, Coach Mark Balogun of Police Baton of Lagos said there was a marked improvement in the standard of officiating of the competition.
Balogun advised that the momentum be sustained and urged the NBBF to organise regular training programmes for officials to acquaint them with current developments in the sport.
Bashir Muhammed, a follower of the league, also expressed satisfaction with the standard of officiating.
Lagos Islanders skipper Tosin Mehinti and his Police Baton counterpart Kelvin Dandason, told NAN that none of the teams had any reason to complain about the officiating.
``We just hope they will maintain it and not make it a flash in the pan,” they said.
The NBBF has been able to register clubs and teams for 2010/11 season in Abuja, had their monthly board meetings and held pre-season seminar for players and coaches.
However, the U-19 girls who would have gone into the first phase of their camping in Ibadan in preparation for the U-19 World Women’s Basketball Championship in Chile in July could not start because of the delay in the take off of the 7th Zenith Bank Female Basketball League.
The federation had hoped to select more players for the camping from the female competition.
Furthermore, the National Open Women Basketball Championship scheduled for Akure in February did not hold though the NBBF was ready for it. The states said they could not feature because of lack of fundsThe first phase of the Zenith Bank Female Basketball league has been postponed to a yet to be announced date.
On why the federation could not execute some of its programmes, NBBF secretary Francis Gbiri said that some states complained of funding constraints.
Gbiri also said that the general elections had compelled the federation to postpone the Zenith female league which would have begun late in March.
He said the NBBF, in spite of its challenges, had been able to correct all its past mistakes and worked out new modalities to move the sport forward.
Gbiri pledged that the federation would not relent in its effort to develop basketball.
Assessing the federation’s first quarter performance, Ayo Bakare, Coach of Ebun Comets Basketball Club of Lagos, applauded NBBF for being able to achieve most of its proposed programmes.
``I pray the momentum of being responsible for the game’s development will not drop as there are still lots of things to be done in the remaining part of the year,’’ Bakare said.
Clubs competing in the Atlantic Conference of the DSTV Premier Basketball League are Dodan Warriors, Union Bank Chariots, Ebun Comets, Islanders and Police Baton all of Lagos, Delta Force of Asaba and Royal Hoopers of Port Harcourt.
In the Savannah conference are Kano Pillars, Niger Potters of Minna, Kada Stars of Kaduna, Nigeria Immigration Service of Kano, Plateau Peaks of Jos, Bauchi Nets, Yelwa Hawks of Bachi and AHIP Giants of Kano.
The female league clubs are First Bank, First Deepwater, Dolphins and Nigeria Customs all of Lagos, Sunshine Angels of Akure, Plateau Peaks of Jos, Delta Force of Asaba, Nigeria Immigration Service of Kano, AHIP of Kano and FCT Angels of Abuja.
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Taking basketball to new heights
Category: Sports Written by . Hits: 884
Though subvention to the sports federations was late in coming from the National Sports Commission (NSC), one federation that has boasted it achieved its cardinal objective in the first quarter of the year is the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
The feat is not just in getting its 2010/2011 DSTV/NBBF Men’s Basketball League to dunk off but securing increased sponsorship money for it when some other federations were unable to carry out any activity because of lack of fund.Multichoice, owners of DSTV, started the sponsorship of the league three years ago with N40 million and last season invested N46 million and have increased it to N50 million this season.
The Managing Director of the company, Joseph Hundah, had at the beginning of this season said that DSTV was investing in basketball in the country to make it the second most recognised sport after football and would continue to increase the sponsorship money if the federation continues to organise it well.
Officials of NBBF thus ensured that the competition started in both the Savannah and Atlantic conferences on Jan. 30 with eight clubs in each conference.
So far, fans have applauded the organisation and officiating of the nine-week-old league, saying the match officials have been fair.
Coach Lateef Erinfolami of Lagos Islander Basketball Club said all the officials had been fair and kept to the rules of the game.
``This is healthy for the development of the sport and a classic example for referees.
``Officials in other sports should take a cue from this,” Erinfolami advised.
In his assessment, Coach Mark Balogun of Police Baton of Lagos said there was a marked improvement in the standard of officiating of the competition.
Balogun advised that the momentum be sustained and urged the NBBF to organise regular training programmes for officials to acquaint them with current developments in the sport.
Bashir Muhammed, a follower of the league, also expressed satisfaction with the standard of officiating.
Lagos Islanders skipper Tosin Mehinti and his Police Baton counterpart Kelvin Dandason, told NAN that none of the teams had any reason to complain about the officiating.
``We just hope they will maintain it and not make it a flash in the pan,” they said.
The NBBF has been able to register clubs and teams for 2010/11 season in Abuja, had their monthly board meetings and held pre-season seminar for players and coaches.
However, the U-19 girls who would have gone into the first phase of their camping in Ibadan in preparation for the U-19 World Women’s Basketball Championship in Chile in July could not start because of the delay in the take off of the 7th Zenith Bank Female Basketball League.
The federation had hoped to select more players for the camping from the female competition.
Furthermore, the National Open Women Basketball Championship scheduled for Akure in February did not hold though the NBBF was ready for it. The states said they could not feature because of lack of fundsThe first phase of the Zenith Bank Female Basketball league has been postponed to a yet to be announced date.
On why the federation could not execute some of its programmes, NBBF secretary Francis Gbiri said that some states complained of funding constraints.
Gbiri also said that the general elections had compelled the federation to postpone the Zenith female league which would have begun late in March.
He said the NBBF, in spite of its challenges, had been able to correct all its past mistakes and worked out new modalities to move the sport forward.
Gbiri pledged that the federation would not relent in its effort to develop basketball.
Assessing the federation’s first quarter performance, Ayo Bakare, Coach of Ebun Comets Basketball Club of Lagos, applauded NBBF for being able to achieve most of its proposed programmes.
``I pray the momentum of being responsible for the game’s development will not drop as there are still lots of things to be done in the remaining part of the year,’’ Bakare said.
Clubs competing in the Atlantic Conference of the DSTV Premier Basketball League are Dodan Warriors, Union Bank Chariots, Ebun Comets, Islanders and Police Baton all of Lagos, Delta Force of Asaba and Royal Hoopers of Port Harcourt.
In the Savannah conference are Kano Pillars, Niger Potters of Minna, Kada Stars of Kaduna, Nigeria Immigration Service of Kano, Plateau Peaks of Jos, Bauchi Nets, Yelwa Hawks of Bachi and AHIP Giants of Kano.
The female league clubs are First Bank, First Deepwater, Dolphins and Nigeria Customs all of Lagos, Sunshine Angels of Akure, Plateau Peaks of Jos, Delta Force of Asaba, Nigeria Immigration Service of Kano, AHIP of Kano and FCT Angels of Abuja.