Basketball
Mo Heat Basketball Tops Group A of Mark D Ball Championship
Mo Heat Basketball of Abuja topped the final standings, with a perfect seven wins from seven Group A games, of the 2022 Mark D Ball Men’s Basketball championship,with first of Group A coming to an end on Saturday in Abuja.
Mo Heat, a new Franchise based in the nation’s capital, trounced Apa Flames of Benue 126-77, to further underline their credentials, as a team that should be playing in the Nigeria Premier Basketball League.
Prior to Saturday’s victory, Mo Heat had also won all of their previous six games in the tournament, and were the first team to tally 100 points, when blowing away Ahip Giants of Kano 104-60 on Thursday.
They finished on 14 points and a massive goals difference of +165, to place first ahead of the duo of Gombe Bulls and Hot Coal Ballers of Abuja, who both finished with 12 points, having lost a game each.
The Bulls with a slightly better goals difference of +66 placed 2nd, while Hot Coal Ballers with an inferior goals difference of +61 was 3rd.
Nile University of Abuja, Apa Flames of Benue, and Police Baton of Lagos all ended up with 10 points each, but placed 4th, 5th, and 6th in that order, on superior goals difference.
In 7th with 9 points was FRSC Safety Knights of Abuja; while AHIP Giants of Kano brought up the rare in 8th position, with 7 points, but was the only side to have lost all their seven games.
Saturday’s other games decided, saw Gombe Bulls pip Nile University of Abuja 74-69; Police Baton of Lagos earned a battling 57-55 win over FRSC Safety Knights; while AHIP Giants of Kano lost their 7th match at a bounce, when losing 55-68 to Hot Coal Ballers of Abuja.
The Championships continue next Saturday with the eight teams populating Group C, taking to Court of the Indoor Sports Hall, in Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
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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