Rivers Hoopers of Port Harcourt and Civil Defenders of Abuja will represent Nigeria at the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Club Championship in the coming month, sports247.ng can report.
Both clubs got their slots after emerging champions of the Savannah and Atlantic Conferences of the abridged 2018 Men’s Basketball League of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
Defenders, owned by Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, defeated rivals Mark Mentors 81-49 points to emerge champions of the Savannah Conference while Hoopers defeated Police Batons of Lagos to win the Atlantic Conference and second continental ticket.
NBBF president, Ahmadu-Kida congratulated both clubs for emerging as Nigeria’s continental representatives, advising them to put up a good performance when they start their campaign at the tournament.
This comes despite protests by Gombe Bulls and Kwara Falcons, winners and runners-up of the 2018 Kwese Premier Basketball League, organised by Tijjani Umar’s faction of the NBBF.
Bulls and Falcons dragged the NBBF under the leadership of Musa Ahmadu-Kida to an Abuja High Court over their rights to represent the country in the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Club Championship, which holds from November 20 to 25 in Benin Republic.
In the suit titled FHC/CS/1317/2018 against the Kida-led NBBF at the Abuja court on November 6, Bulls and Falcons sought an order to restrain the Kida-led NBBF from conducting any fresh league to select representatives for the continental club competition.
They argued that Kwese Premier Basketball League was concluded with Bulls as champions and Falcons as runners-up were both qualified to represent the country at the continental championship.
However, the NBBF went ahead and conducted the league, which hit a climax with victories for Defenders and Hoppers, after action started on Tuesday.
