Rivers Hoopers of Port Harcourt star, Benjamin Ikechukwu has thrown more light on factors that led to the team’s success at the recent FIBA Africa Zone 3 Champions Cup qualifiers, saying it was due to resilience on the part of the lads.
Making this known in a chat with sports247.ng, the Rivers Hoopers small forward declared that sheer determination nand hard work on the part of The Garden City outfit made a world of difference for them during the competition in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Ikechukwu also admitted that the gulf in quality between Nigeria’s club basketball and other countries in the West African region is not so wide and says that was confirmed during intense matches in the competition.
He stressed that it was only through dint of zeal that The Hoopers, who were one of two representatives in the zonal qualifiers from Nigeria Premier Basketball League, went on a flawless record in Cotonou.
Ikechukwu said he was happy they were able to win five matches, without losing any, and secured qualification for the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup billed for next year.
He added: ‘I am happy that we were able to scale through and pick the ticket in Cotonou.
“The competition was not as easy as we thought it would be, and it was the resilience of our players that set us apart from the rest.”
