The 2023 Olumide Oyedeji Basketball Camp, a widely anticipated grassroots initiative, concluded over the weekend with a remarkable turnout of aspiring young basketball players from across Nigeria.
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The event, held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos, drew the attention of over 400 enthusiastic children, signaling a growing passion for the sport among the country’s youth.
A prominent sponsor of the event highlighted the substantial attendance as a testament to the burgeoning interest of youngsters in basketball.
The 2023 Olumide Oyedeji Basketball camp aimed to nurture emerging talent and foster a strong foundation for the sport’s growth at the grassroots level. Organizers were faced with the rewarding challenge of accommodating the diverse pool of participants hailing from various regions of Nigeria.
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The camp’s data breakdown revealed that Lagos State contributed over 300 participants, while other cities also made significant contributions. Ibadan, Oyo State, sent 25 children, and Osogbo and Ijebu Ode of Osun and Ogun States respectively contributed 25 and 20 participants each.
Additional representation came from Akure, Ondo State (15 participants), Plateau State (5), Niger (6), Anambra (6), Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (10), and Ekiti State (5).
Reflecting on the event’s success, Olumide Oyedeji, the founder of the OOYF (Olumide Oyedeji Youth Foundation) and a former captain of the national basketball team, expressed his satisfaction with the record-breaking participation.
He emphasized that the camp’s widespread acceptance underlined its positive impact on Nigeria’s basketball landscape.
Oyedeji highlighted the continuous growth of the program over its 23-year history and attributed the increasing interest to the global influence of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Nigerian basketball stars on the world stage.
Looking ahead to the future of the project, Oyedeji, who also holds influential roles within the Nigerian basketball administration, outlined plans for the 2024 edition.
He conveyed the foundation’s ambition to secure a larger venue for forthcoming events due to the projected rise in attendance.
The surge in interest, he noted, was attributed to the sport’s increasing recognition in Nigeria, fueled by the global presence of the NBA and the accomplishments of Nigerian basketball players worldwide.
