Basketball
NIGERIA BASKETBALL BOARD PLEASED WITH NATIONAL COACH, ALEX NWORA
The board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation has stated emphatically that the decision to appoint Alex Nwora as D’Tigers’ coach has paid off handsomely after qualifying the team for the FIBA Men’s basketball World Cup in China.
Speaking through the international representative on the NBBF board, Col. Samuel Ahmedu (rtd), the decision which was greeted with scepticism by a section of the basketball family has now been justified with the results recorded since he took over.
According to Ahmedu who was part of the team’s delegation to the final qualification window in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, with Nigerians used to high profile and popular coaches, appointing Nwora was unexpected on the eve of the 2017 FIBA Afrobasket.
“Nigerians are used to high profile coaches, so when they heard of Alex Nwora, a lot of people were sceptical. I don’t blame them because apart from coaching Cape Verde and coming to Nigeria to do camps once in a while, he was relatively unknown in Nigeria.”
The NBBF said appointing Nwora was an easy decision as other coaches who were being considered and contacted did not turn up.
“Ime Udoka (Assistant Coach, San Antonio Spurs) and Dominic Okon (Assistant Coach, Wichita State University in the NCAA) were also invited (in various capacities) but they did not come. Alex was the one who came and took the opportunity.”
The FIBA Africa Zone 3 President said the initial believe that Nwora’s appointment was based on sentiments has now being dispelled with many embracing his style.
“As a member of the NBBF, I thank our President, Vice President and all other board members for giving him an opportunity because if he never had that opportunity, we would never have known what he can do.”
He said despite rooms for improvement as the World Cup beckons, Nigerians should appreciate the Anambra state born coach for what he has been able to achieve since taking over.
“He understands his team well and being the first coach to qualify for the world cup, being the coach whose team came first in our group and also in Africa ahead of Tunisia and Angola, I think we should appreciate what he has done.”
Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
Here is FIBA’s analysis: The return of the Tokyo Olympian has been a blessing for Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Nigeria.
For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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