The President of Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engineer Ahmad Musa Kida has expressed excitement with the increased array in which talents of the sport are emerging across the country, which he says is a good sign for the future.
Sports247 reports that Engineer Kida made the observation while speaking about the benefits of the NBFF’s youth camp in Benin City, which he described as part of a comprehensive preparation pathway for Nigeria’s future international success.
Kida also disclosed that more home-based players within the under-18 age grade will be selected from the Zone 3 qualifiers, following which they will be invited to a training camp scheduled for July 16th to 25th, as another way of exposing them.
A media statement by the NBBF also disclosed plans to organise a training camp and talent evaluation programme in Chicago, USA from July 23rd to 25th, which will create an avenue of integrating diaspora players into the Nigerian system.
Players selected from Nigeria and the diaspora will afterwards turn up at a Final Joint Preparation Camp in Côte d’Ivoire from July 27th, ahead of the FIBA U-18 AfroBasket Championship scheduled for the same country from August 3rd to 16th.
The statement added that this structured path reflects the NBBF’s commitment to combining the best locally developed talent with eligible Nigerian players born abroad, to build strong national teams capable of excelling on the African stage.
Kida, while reiterating the federation’s commitment to grassroots development and talent identification, added: “The future of Nigerian basketball lies in our ability to consistently discover and develop young talents.
“This U-18 camp represents another important step in our long-term vision of building sustainable pathways for our youth athletes to progress to the highest levels of the game. We are excited about the quality of talent emerging.”
Sports247 reports further that the NBBF boss expressed delight with the rise in basketball youth development efforts across the country and looks forward to seeing young players compete for the opportunity to wear Nigeria’s jersey.
