Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire — Ugo Udezue, the Leader of Delegation and Vice Chairman of the Youth Committee on the NBBF Board, expressed his gratitude and determination as Nigeria’s U18 male and female basketball teams arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire last Thursday for the FIBA U18 qualifying tournament.
“We are grateful to the Ministry of Sports Development and the Nigerian government for making this platform available to these young ones,” Udezue said. “They genuinely understand the set goals of the NBBF. The determination to pursue quality youth programs got us this far. Preparing the team and making the trip from Lagos to Abidjan may have been challenging, but the federation is determined to stay focused on the goals of youth development. We must continue to develop the young ones for sustenance.”
The tournament, running from July 29 to August 4, offers these young athletes a significant opportunity to showcase their skills and potentially advance to the African finals in South Africa. The tipoff is set for Wednesday, though exact match fixtures are pending the pre-competition meeting scheduled for Tuesday night.
For these young Nigerians, the competition is not just about winning games but also about developing their skills and aiming for future integration into the senior D’Tigers and D’Tigress squads. Both teams engaged in an intensive two-week training camp in Nigeria before embarking on their journey to Abidjan. The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), steadfast in their commitment to youth development, facilitated these preparations.
The dedication of the NBBF to youth programs has not only supported the U18 teams but also sustained the men’s Divisions One and Two Leagues with corporate sponsorship. Division Two particularly benefits from young, school-based players.
The U18 boys’ roster includes Bassey Ekpo Effiong, Abraham Boyce Hart, and Sani Samuel, among others. The girls’ team features talents like Tewogbade Ayomide and Gbemisola Samuel. Coaching these promising players are Fubara Onyanabo for the boys and former national point guard Juliana Akhere for the girls.
With the zonal qualifiers in Côte d’Ivoire serving as a gateway to the African finals in South Africa, the young Nigerian teams are poised for a defining chapter in their basketball journeys.
