Basketball

IS DOOMSDAY HERE AS FIBA DEADLINE TO NIGERIA EXPIRES?

Published

7 years ago

November 30, 2017

The Nigeria Basketball Federation has called for calm as the November 30 deadline date given by the Federation of International Basketball Associations FIBA to the Nigeria Olympic Committee to find an amicable solution to the NBBF leadership impasse expires this Thursday.
At a media briefing held on Wednesday, the Vice President of the federation, Babs Ogunade gave an assurance that the decision of the apex body will only establish a solid frame work for future elections in Nigeria.
Ogunade said that the board had compromised several times just for the sake of basketball and its growth but the previous board had been so adamant despite attempts by the NBBF President, Musa Kida to open up communication.
“We had to sign an undertaken before the Federal Government could allow them use the Indoor Sports hall in Lagos for the conclusion of the Zenith Women’s Final 6 and the concluding part of the premier league for women.
“When we went to Cotonou for the FIBA Africa 3×3 zonal qualifiers, another team was sent by the Kano group. When it was our turn to play, the Kano team received a call to also come on court despite not registering for the competition.
“The intention was to cause confusion and create an impression that there was a crisis, but out of maturity, we had to step down our teams in other not to embarrass the country.
“When we went to Madagascar for the draws for the African Champions Cup, the Kano group also sent representatives to come and represent Nigeria, but FIBA in their wisdom related with us.”
Also speaking at the event, the international representative on the NBBF board, Col. Samuel Ahmedu (rtd) denied claims that FIBA did not recognize their election.
“According to the letter sent to the different groups and the NOC, FIBA categorically stated that they were investigating the allegations of government interference during the conduct of the June 13 elections held in Abuja under the supervision of NOC.”
Ahmedu said the result of their findings will determine FIBA’s decision. He corroborated the VP’s claim that the Kano group just wanted to create an artificial crisis where there was none.
“Despite our clear cut directives to teams not to participate in the final 6 and final 8 competitions subject to approval, we still compromised and allowed the teams that emerged from that championship to represent Nigeria at the international stage.”
Ahmedu who is the Benue state basketball association Chairman pointed fingers at the former board for several attempts to sabotage the country’s effort during the preparations for the cup of nations for men and women.
“When we were preparing for the women’s competition, the former board called some of the players not to report to camp because a special camping arrangement had been made for the players to be camped in Tunisia.

“For the men, most of the 2015 set who won the Afrobasket were influenced not to come play for their fatherland. Because of that, many of them gave different excuses while some demanded to be paid as much as 200,000 dollars before playing for Nigeria.”
The players’ representative on the board, Ejike Ugboaja maintained that FIBA who are interested in promoting the game globally will look for alternatives rather than banning Nigeria who are the reigning champions in the African cup of nations for women and FIBA Africa 3×3 competition for men.
“The players just want to play basketball. We are tired of the efforts by some people to destroy the fibre of basketball in Nigeria.”
He blamed Umar for the crisis rocking the Nigerian basketball and the embarrassment at the international level.
“He knew his time was up, that was why he went to Kano to conduct an election on the 12th of June. His plan was to use the election to muddle up the pond and create a rancorous situation which will force round table discussions.”
He said in line with the FIBA guidelines, the former president of the NBBF, Tijani Umar has completed his mandate of t terms and he is statute barred to even contest for another term of four years.

Basketball

Angola’s Petro De Luanda Wins 2024 Basketball Africa League Championship

Published

3 months ago

June 2, 2024

Kunle Solaja

2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Champion Petro de Luanda (Angola) (Credit: BAL/Getty Images)

Petro de Luanda Becomes First Sub-Saharan African Team to Win BAL Finals (BAL.NBA.com); Libya’s Al Ahly Ly Forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. Named 2024 BAL Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Angola’s Petro de Luanda this Sunday defeated Libya’s Al Ahly Ly 107-94 to win the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship, which took place at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda and reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages. Petro de Luanda, the 2022 BAL runner-up and one of two teams to have participated in all four BAL seasons, is the first sub-Saharan African team to win the BAL Finals after previous champions from Egypt and Tunisia.

Following the game, BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and President of FIBA Africa Anibal Manave presented Petro de Luanda with the BAL Championship Trophy and Al Ahly Ly forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. with The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for winning the 2024 BAL Most Valuable Player Award and The Dikembe Mutombo Trophy for winning 2024 BAL Defensive Player of the Year.

Petro de Luanda went 5-2 during the Kalahari Conference group phase in Pretoria, South Africa, and the Playoffs, defeating Senegal’s AS Douanes and South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the Finals. Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers defeated the Cape Town Tigers 80-57 in the third-place game yesterday.

Lual-Acuil Jr. is also the 2024 BAL Scoring Champion and was named to the 2024 All-BAL First Team and All-BAL Defensive Team after leading Al Ahly Ly to a 5-4 record during the Nile Conference group phase in Cairo, Egypt, and the Playoffs, recording per game averages of 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.

Several former NBA players attended games throughout the 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals, including BAL Ambassadors and NBA Africa investors Luol Deng (South Sudan), Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon); 2015 NBA champion Festus Ezeli (Nigeria), and New York Knicks President of G League Operations Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Ghana).

The BAL has also announced the 2024 Coach of the Year, Sportsmanship Award winner, All-BAL First Team, All-BAL Defensive Team, and Ubuntu Award winner. The voting panels varied for each award and were comprised of fans, coaches, team captains, media, broadcasters, and scouts.

2024 BAL Coach of the Year
Rivers Hoopers head coach Odaudu Ogoh led his team to a third-place finish with a 6-3 record during the Sahara Conference group phase in Dakar, Senegal, and the Playoffs.

2024 BAL Sportsmanship Award
Rivers Hoopers point guard Will Perry received The Manute Bol Trophy for exemplifying the ideals of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Perry was also named to the 2024 All-BAL First Team.

2024 All-BAL First TeamPositionPlayerTeamPoint GuardWill PerryRivers HoopersGuardSamkelo CeleCape Town TigersGuardChris CrawfordUS MonastirForwardJo Lual-Acuil Jr.Al Ahly LyForward / CenterAliou DiarraFUS Rabat Basketball
2024 All-BAL Defensive TeamPositionPlayerTeamPoint GuardSouleyman DiabateAl Ahly LyGuardSamkelo CeleCape Town TigersGuardAbdoulaye HarounaAS DouanesForwardJo Lual-Acuil Jr.Al Ahly LyForward / CenterAliou DiarraFUS Rabat Basketball
2024 BAL Ubuntu Award
AS Douanes guard and team captain Alkaly Ndour won the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Award in recognition of his ongoing efforts to use the game of basketball to positively impact the lives of youth in his native Senegal. Ndour is the founder of “Kayelennioufo” (which translates to “Let’s have fun”), a basketball tournament for nearly 250 amateur players in his home neighbourhood of Bopp in Dakar. Ndour was presented with the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Trophy during an on-court ceremony on May 25 in conjunction with Africa Day.

Basketball

Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers Advance to 2024 BAL Playoffs

Published

4 months ago

May 13, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Five Hoopers players scored in double digits with Devine Eke (18 points, 18 rebounds) and Peter Olisemeka (17 points, 19 rebounds) dominating the boards

Nigeria’ Rivers Hoopers beat Rwanda’s Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) 78-71 in the first-ever BAL (https://BAL.NBA.com) double-overtime game and became the first Sahara Conference team to clinch a spot in the BAL Playoffs which are set to tip off at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on May 24.

Five Hoopers players scored in double digits with Devine Eke (18 points, 18 rebounds) and Peter Olisemeka (17 points, 19 rebounds) dominating the boards as well. Will Perry added 11 points and seven assists in a low scoring affair in which both teams shot less than 40 percent from the floor.

Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza led APR with 16 points and five rebounds, while Dario Hunt finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Going into today’s matchups, APR is currently second in the Sahara Conference and will look to secure a postseason berth when they take on Senegal’s AS Douanes (4^th place with 2 wins and 3 losses) this evening.

In the second game of the day, the 2022 BAL champions Tunisia’s US Monastir kept their playoff hopes alive, defeating AS Douanes 75-69 and getting their second straight win in the competition. This is a turnaround for the Tunisian champions who started the Sahara Conference from three straight defeats, but now stand one win away from the postseason. Chris Crawford led Monastir with 18 points and seven assists, Oussama Marnaoui scored 16, and Firas Lahyani finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Abdoulaye Harouna led the Douanes with 22 points, with Adama Diakhite adding 14 points and nine rebounds.

APR, AS Douanes and US Monastir will compete for the last two playoff spots when the Sahara Conference concludes this afternoon – Rivers Hoopers will take on US Monastir at 2:30 p.m. GMT and AS Douanes will face APR at 5:30 p.m. GMT.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Basketball Africa League (BAL)

Basketball

NBBF Final Four: We are In Port Harcourt to win, says Gboko City Chiefs

Published

10 months ago

November 22, 2023

Kunle Solaja

Gboko City Chiefs making presentation to Chris Green

The General Manager of Gboko City Chiefs Basketball Club, Fanen Iornem says they are in Port Harcourt to win the NBBF Final Four championship.

Iornem, who stated this on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the Rivers Commissioner for Sports, Barr Chris Green, stressed that the team was ready for any opposition.

He opined that Gboko City Chiefs have bonded together sufficiently and are in high spirits to overcome opposing teams and land the title.

According to him, “I will just tell straight forward that we are here to win; in as much as bookmakers might want to say anything, we are happy that everybody is looking at us like the 4th team because this is our second season in NBBF league but we are here to win with the calibre of the players we have, we have everything we need to succeed.”

On basketball in Nigeria, the GM said that the level was high but was quick to add that there is the need for more championships and longer period of playing to improve the game.

Reiterating the GM’s position, Team captain, Antibas Samaila and Centre, Bright Osagie Akhuetie both said they were ready to give their all and were not scared of any team

While welcoming the team to Rivers State, Chris Green expressed delight that the final four championship was taking place in Port Harcourt and assured that necessary facilities and associated logistics have been put in place to enable hitch competition.

While explaining that basketball was is first love in sports, he noted that the State would be making best of the final four championship to prove the dominance of Rivers Hoopers amongst other teams.

Said he: We have in place what is probably the best basketball court in Nigeria as at today. We have done everything possible to ensure a great atmosphere for everybody.

“I am happy that the final four is here. There will be a level playing ground for every team, let basketball be the winner. Rivers Hoopers is the home of basketball in Nigeria and we have always been winning. I want to welcome every team to Rivers State.”