Basketball
Bauchi Nets, Kada Stars Replace Mark Mentors, Defenders in Conference 6
Bauchi Nets of Bauchi and Kada Stars of Kaduna have replaced Mark Mentors and Defenders of Abuja in the ongoing Kwese Premier Basketball League Conference 6 playoffs holding at the Indoor Hall of Murtala Square Stadium in Kaduna.
The competition which forms part of the last lap in the Kwese Premier Basketball League runs from August 13 to 20.
According to organizers of the league, the need to replace both teams from Abuja became necessary due to the failure of the teams to honour their invitation to be part of the Conference 6 after qualifying to participate during the regular season.
The League Director, Ajibarede Bello, said the decision was taken according to the rules governing the league.
“The rules are very clear. Both clubs were invited and letters were duly sent to them. They are aware and fully informed as well as mobilized according to the rules but failed to show up.
“In other not to leave a vacuum since four of the six clubs invited were on ground and the competition must go on, we decided to apply the rules and upgraded the two teams in the Savannah Conference log to replace them.
“Also, we must realize that the games are live and for live games, we cannot begin to have walkovers when games have started,” Bello clarified.
Meanwhile, Bauchi Nets coach, Abu Yuyu, said gaining promotion to play the Conference 6 is an honour that the team will not take lightly.
“It’s an opportunity we won’t take lightly because this could be a big opening for the players. My biggest task is to psyche them up not to take this opportunity with kid gloves”
With Mark Mentors and Defenders dropped, the six teams playing the Conference 6 are Kano Pillars, Niger Potters, Plateau Peaks, Gombe Bulls, Bauchi Nets and Kada Stars.
At the end of the Conference 6 in both the Savannah and Atlantic Conferences, two teams will each drop in both conferences for the Final 8 grand finale in Kano.
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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