Basketball

Basketball: The Osita Nwachukwu Led Grassroots Developing in the South East

Published

5 years ago

March 24, 2022

The Management of Novena Heartland Basketball Club of Owerri, says it is looking to beef up its team, ahead of Round of 16 phase of th bee 2022 Mark D Ball Men’s Basketball Championship, to be staged in Abuja.

CEO & Proprietor of the club, Osita Nwachukwu stated this while revising the sides performance, in the last qualifying phase of the Championship, which he said was the biggest tournament, his players have been exposed to.

Nwachukwu, who is a Factional NBBF Vice president, also hinted that he may go for a Centre and Shooting Guard, who are Americans, but of Nigerian descent.

“I also own Novena Queens, which is the women’s basketball team. Through both teams in Owerri and Abakiliki we have discovered a good number of talents in the SE. But coming to play in Abuja was a good step up. It gave the guys good exposure.”

“Under the watch of Igoche Mark, the NBBF has resolved never to allow the domestic aspect of our basketball to suffer from inactivity, any more.”

Speaking exclusively to Radio Nigeria Sports, Captain of Novena Heartland, Chinedu Precious Asogwo rated his sides participation at the preliminary phase of Mark D Ball as the toughest competition the side has played in. The 15 year old who stands at 6ft 5 Inches, also assured that they will work on their strength and stamina, while consolidating on the strong points that aided their qualification to the Round of 16.

“ I train Novena Heartland in both its Camp in Owerri and Abakaliki, where I also assist my father in his Pharmacy Store. We had just three weeks to prepare, and during that time I was down with food poisoning, and thought I won’t be able to make the team. But because Basketball is all I have for now, somehow I recovered, and was selected to lead the team”.

Having been hired last year, Coach Achu Kingsley Kelechi said his passion lies with working with relatively unknown players, and it gives him joy to help nurture them to stardom.

According to him, he shuttles between Owerri and Abakaliki, where the team operates two training camps.

He also reserved special praise for the CEO Mr. Nwachukwu for being very supportive and doing his best to prioritize the welfare of the players, while giving them the much needed exposure, and career opportunities.

“My confidence that we will cope very well in the next phase of the championship, stems from the confidence of my players, who told me when we were to embark on this trip, that competing against elite players and beating the big boys will be fun”.

Darlington Marvelous Chukwuebuka, the Shooting Guard who scooped the award of MVP in the team’s last match, also echoed the untiring efforts of Mr. Nwachukwu, who he said has done a lot to promote and popularize Basketball, in the SE.

“Until this Mark D Ball championship, we did not have much to train for; this tournament exposed us to the real thing and we appreciate our CEO for what he is doing to advance the fortunes of basketball in the whole of South East; personally, I have a lot of mentors in and outside Nigeria, and I’m determined to make the most of the opportunities”.

According to the AICE Owerri undergraduate, he is happy for the opportunity to play for Novena Heartland, and hopes to use the platform, to achieve his goal of playing at the top level, at home and abroad, as a professional.

Aside Heartland, the other teams to qualify for the Round of 16 are:

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Basketball

Fresh Ideas, Science Needed to Revitalise Basketball —ABA

Published

7 days ago

September 27, 2026

The Gleamer

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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