Basketball

Rims And Thrills ‘Basketball Tourney Is To Take Youths Off The Streets-Organizer

Published

6 years ago

November 11, 2020

Joel Ajayi

The organizer of the Rims and Thrills basketball tourney, Femi Adesida has revealed that taking away the youth from the street will be his greatest dream and ensuring youth development and empowerment initiatives through basketball.

He stated this at the ongoing 7 days grassroots basketball tournament in Abuja the federal capital territory.

Mr. Adesida equally said the tournament was aimed at helping the youth to choose a career in sports with a better rewarding system.

The tournament, according to him, is 3rd edition with the Season an initiative that has put smiles on the faces of many youths in the country especially in FCT and its environs.

According to him, this tournament is all about youth grassroots development, it was born out of a passion to do better than what is been done before and it’s also a way of rewarding those who have the talents that are not rewarded.

“Unfortunate the governments of Nigeria are not put enough support to the Nigerian youth as you can see we have over 100 youth because over 11 teams made up of 12 players not to talk about their coaching crew, their supporters.

“They are all here playing basketball, they would have been elsewhere may be doing drugs or be doing something they are not supposed to do they will be here for 7-days that why we are doing it to encourage them in order to enjoy what they loved doing and to excel in their person as the government can’t do we are doing it in our own little way.

“I have played in so many competitions in Nigeria but I am not happy about the reward, very poor, nothing show up for it it’s devastating. We got injured in the name of grassroots; meanwhile, it’s time to play international they will go and player from abroad.”

He said that the winners would, smile home with N100,000, other attractive prizes to motivate the players.

And as part of the effort to make Rims and Thrills basketball tourney the best games like Ludo, Tables tennis, and others were introduced by the organizer for the youth as well.

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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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