Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, on Monday, declared open, the 2023 Nigeria Basketball Premier League held at the Nasarawa State Centre.
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Represented by the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Jafaru Ango, the Governor commended the leadership of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, and organizers of the Competition for finding a suitable environment in Nasarawa State to be used as one of the Centres for the National Premiership.
He said it has been part of his administration’s blueprints to develop sports infrastructures that would meet global standards in his bid to make the State the home of sports and sports people in Nigeria.
The Governor congratulated the participating teams, and wished them well throughout the duration of the Competition in Lafia, stating that his administration would continue to provide the right atmosphere for sports and sports people to thrive.
Sule noted that his leadership would construct more world-class sports infrastructure across the State to aid the discovery of hidden sporting potentials, meaningfully engage the youth and woo investors to the State for improved revenue drive.
On his part, Permanent Secretary, Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Isaac Danladi, commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for walking the talk, disclosing that the Governor’s deliberate investment in sports is beginning to yield positive results as a plethora of sporting activities take place in the State daily, which have hitherto led to people from all walks of life thronging to the State to catch a glimpse of sporting action and witness the gigantic strides of the Governor in the State.
He revealed that the Sule-led administration, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, prioritized training and re-training of coaches and athletes to enable them to compete favourably with their counterparts around the world.
Speaking earlier, North-Central Zonal Coordinator and member of the Federation of International Basketball Association, Adamu Deshi, explained that the competition was categorised into four Centres, and simultaneously taking place in Nasarawa State, Abuja, Oyo State, and Delta State, respectively, with the aim of producing four out of the eight participating teams from each of the Centres into the next Conference which will further be narrowed to four finalist teams in order to produce eventual national Champions and Runners-up who will represent Nigeria at the forthcoming Basketball African League, BAL.
Deshi narrated that the Lafia City Hall, now rechristened Lafia Sports Arena, is one of the best venues in the country to host such competition as it boasts of the latest basketball requirements.
He thanked the Nasarawa State Government led by Governor Abdullahi Sule for constructing a befitting Lafia City Hall and providing top-notch hospitality and high-security measures to allow for development across different strata of the State.
The Zonal Representative revealed that eight teams, including Gombe Bulls, Benue Bricks, NSCDC Defenders of Abuja, Nigeria Correctional Basketball Club of Abuja, Plateau Peaks, Yobe Warriors, Mark Mentors of Abuja and Gboko City Chiefs are participating in the five-day Premiership in Lafia, beginning from Monday, 23rd October 2023, to Friday, 28th October 2023.
Deshi explained that the NBBF enjoys the hospitality and ambience Nasarawa State provides as it has more befitting and latest sporting infrastructures in the entire North-Central Zone of the Country, and would continue to take advantage of the facilities to stage more sporting competitions in the State.
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Chairman, Nasarawa State Basketball Association, Alh. Ayuba Tijanni Mohammed premised the success being recorded so far by the Association on the huge support it gets from Governor Abdullahi Sule and the Nasarawa State Government which further provides the right environment for the sports to continue to form positive headlines across divides.
He promised to continue to work in consonance with the Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, the NBBF and other key stakeholders to encourage more investors to the State.
Ayuba said Nasarawa State is capable of hosting any form of sporting competition, nationally, as it has all it takes to do so, a development he added creates jobs and boosts commercial activities and revenue generation in the State, particularly, the host City.
The Governor, also accompanied by his Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Students Affairs, Rt. Hon. Shuaibu Sani, and Directors of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, performed the ceremonial dunking off to herald the commencement of hostilities in the league, a setting that formed part of the highlight of the event.
