Basketball

Mark D Ball: Teams Storm Abuja for Elite 8 Final

Published

4 years ago

June 14, 2022

The eight teams that progressed from Round of 16 phase of the 2022 Mark D Ball Men’s Basketball Championships have all arrived in Abuja, ahead of the eagerly anticipated round, chistened Elite Eight, which starts on Wednesday, June 15, 2022.

The eight teams arrived side by side technical officials that have been mobilized to ensure the smooth and hitch free tournament, now in its buisness end.

The eight elite teams will from Wednesday’s Jump Balls at the Indoor Sports Hall, located in Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium Abuja, showcase intense rivalry, and the best of elite domestic basketball, as never seen in Nigeria, since 2017.

All eyes will be on Nigeria Customs, who are on paper the favourites to overcome Delta Force of Asaba, in Game 1 of Matchday 1.

Victory for the Customs men team, will surely put them on course to emulate their ladies who won the women’s edition.
In other Day-1 games, Gombe Bulls will sweat it out with Kwara Falcons of Ilorin; while the only team with a 100% win record, so far in the competition, Mo Heat will clash with the youngsters of FCT HardRockers, in a mouth watering Abuja derby.

Underdogs, Hot Coal Ballers of Abuja will then have to battle the odds, when taking on gaints, Kano Pillars in the last game of matchday 1.

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Basketball

Fresh Ideas, Science Needed to Revitalise Basketball —ABA

Published

6 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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