Basketball

U-18 CDS Basketball Tourney: FCT Defeat Kaduna 70-53 to Clinch Bronze

Published

1 year ago

June 18, 2025

By Joel Ajayi

The FCT U-18 boys’ basketball team secured a convincing 70–53 victory over their Kaduna counterparts on Wednesday to claim the bronze medal at the second edition of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Democracy Day U-18 Basketball Tournament.

The third-place match, held at the indoor basketball court (Package B) of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, saw the FCT boys dominate all four quarters with superior teamwork, sharp shooting, and defensive discipline.

From tip-off to the final buzzer, the FCT team maintained control of the game, gradually widening the gap and leaving Kaduna with little room to mount a comeback.

With this win, the FCT side ends the tournament on a high note, earning a well-deserved place on the podium in a competition that continues to promote grassroots basketball development and national unity through sport.

Five days tournament, with the themed “Encouraging Grassroots Basketball Talents”, aims to identify and nurture young talents, building their capacity to contribute meaningfully to national development.

A total of 16 teams—10 male and 6 female—are battling it out for top honours.

The CDS Democracy Day Basketball Championship, which kicked off on Saturday, June 14, will run through Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

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Basketball

Fresh Ideas, Science Needed to Revitalise Basketball —ABA

Published

5 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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