Football for over a century has maintained its enviable position as the world’s numero uno. It has equally enjoyed love and participation by millions of illustrious persons across the world.
Another prominent sports lover and administrator who has had a sniff at the lure and attractions attached to football, is the President of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida.
The awards winning former national basketball team player in an exclusive interview with Sports Chronicle Magazine, revealed that he started out his impressive sports career as a footballer. However, his gangly nature as a very tall young man did not make keeping the ball at feet easy, as he was always falling over whenever he had the ball.
” Expectedly, like every young Nigerian kid, I started out as a footballer. I love football but something natural didn’t just make it easy for me. I was very tall as a kid and I was always falling and tumbling over most times when I had the ball at my feet,” he said amidst laughter.
” I was therefore moved to the goalposts as a keeper for my primary school. As a goalkeeper, my height was an advantage,” he disclosed.
Kida who played for the national basketball team alongside basketball legend, Hakeem Olajuwon, further revealed that his transition from football to basketball was made easy. And he sweetly remarked that his large palms made playing basketball easier.
” The transition from a goalkeeper to playing basketball was rather easy because it was just about using your hands. And I reckon that my height and particularly, my large palms were a great advantage,” Kida, who was recently honored as ‘Best Sports Administrator, 2020’, at the 7th edition of the prestigious City Merit Awards added.
