Basketball
Winning against Russia is key- D’Tigers
As the 2019 FIBA Men’s World Cup gets underway in China on Saturday, the D’Tigers hope to start against Russia on a winning note.
The team fully focused on the task ahead said starting with victory on Saturday is very important as they plan to go as far as possible in the tournament.
Head coach, Alex Nwora admitted that Russia ranked 10th in the latest FIBA ranking will be a very difficult nut to crack but said a victory is not impossible.
Nwora, who on Tuesday released the final 12 man roster for the World Cup said with the talent at his disposal after weeks of preparation, the team can only reach for the sky.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge for us, but we have the ability and the talent to match up their skill set. It’s going to be a good one. What we are trying to do is to make sure that we prepare and get ready for the competition.”
Team captain, Ike Diogu said Russia will be a good test for the team and will afford them the opportunity of assessing where they really belong.
“I have been telling everybody, one through fifteen, we can match up with anybody in the world. We just have to execute, play hard and I think the odds will be in our favour”.
The Team’s General Manager and former Nigerian international, Musa Adamu revealed that the team’s goal is to take a game one at a time and qualify for the second round.
“We hope to qualify from our group and from there we go bit by bit. First we hope to win the games we are going to play one after the other.
“So, our first mission is to win our first game and then get out of our group”, Adamu said.
Nigeria is grouped alongside Russia, Argentina and Korea.
Basketball
Fresh Ideas, Science Needed to Revitalise Basketball —ABA
Cyril Ogar
President/Founder, Amateur Basketball Academies, ABA, Aliyu Lucky Abubakar has called for a scientific and pragmatic approach to rediscovering the game of basketball in the North East.
The former player of many teams in Nigeria stated this on Saturday during training of coaches in Yola, Adamawa State.
Aliyu said the training is aimed to arm Coaches so they can, in turn, reach the children, especially those that ABA may not. The Deputy Comptroller in Nigeria Customs Service decried non-challant attitudes of the stakeholders in the development of basketball in the North East.
” Basketball is fading in the North East, and we at ABA will not allow it to die.”
“Adamawa was once a force in the game of basketball but had fallen behind. Our plan is to discover talent through coaching training, nurture it, and carry it from state level to the national team, and eventually, the global stage.” The basketball administrator said.
In his keynote message to the participants, which centered on the theme, “HOPE,” Harnessing opportunity, Organising for excellence, Promoting players’ development, and Empowering the next generation, Aliyu said, is far more than a drill instructors.
” Every child you see on a basketball court has a dream, and it is our job as a coach to spot it early and give it somewhere to go.” He concluded.
In his lecture titled, ” Who is a Coach”, Emmanuel Odah, the head Coach, FCT Basketball and former National Juniors team, described a coach as a committed, organised, affectionate, caring and humble.
” Commitment is consistency, and consistency is mother of progress; humility comes first because a coach who can not control himself can never control a game,” Odah insisted.
Other instructors at the training include ABA head of technical, Coach Adeka Daudu, as well as Coach Alexander Anyebe Ujoh, who spoke about the relationship between a coach and child in his care.
Coaches at the training commended ABA for its boldness to give hopes to basketball coaches all over the country. They promised that lessons learned would reshape and reset their mind on the job. They said the training will help them in understanding their role not only as an instructor but also grooming the children for a better future.
Among guests at the event include FCT Acting Director of Sports, Mr. Iyiola Ogundele and Bayelsa Veteran Basketball administrator, Coach Tony
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