Vateran National Basketball Coach, Alabi Adelanwa has hailed the historic feat of the Nigeria’s representative at the ongoing 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL), Rivers Hoopers BC who emerged as the first side in the country to reach semi-final stage at the tournament after earning a tough 92-88 victory over former BAL Champions US Monastir of Tunisia in the quarter-final.
Adelanwa, an icon in the game in chat with Edu-Biznews in Abeokuta on Tuesday in Abeokuta, stressed the need for the Engr. Musa Kida led Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to consolidate on the feat recorded by Rivers Hoopers at the ongoing Africa's most prestigious clubs basketball competition, by reviving the local league in the country , so to ensure competitive league among clubs
The league has been rested since 2021 in the wake of earlier leadership crisis between the then president of the federation, Tijani Umar who was in charge from 2009 till 2017 and the incumbent president who has been managing the affairs of the federation from 2017 till date
The crisis desrupted the once vibrant basketball making difficult for corporate organizations to sponsor or invest massively in the development of the game
Adelanwa, a high chief in Owu-Abeokuta kingdom who discovered the likes of former National Basketball Association (NBA), legends, Akeem Olajuwon and Olumide Oyedeji (former captain of D'Tigers ), said that the revival of the league structure would strengthen competition among clubs to enable compete favourably with other top clubs across Africa, just like Rivers Hoopers'are doing in the Basketball Africa League
The former tactician of National Basketball Team, charged Rivers Hoopers to go all out against their opponents Al Ahly of Libya in a semi-final on Wednesday, 29th May at BK Arena , Kigali in Rwanda, expressing optimism of possibility of the team winning and qualifying for the first ever final in the competition
The Baba-Oba of Owu-Abeokuta kingdom urged basketball family including members of the federation and State Basketball Associations across the country to emulate the sports culture being displayed by Rivers State Government and people who have continued to create a conducive environment for sports including basketball to thrive inspite of the current political crisis in the state
Adelanwa expressed concern over the inadequate standard indoor sports hall and other basic facilities in most of the 36 states including Ogun State for development of basketball
Adelanwa , a living basketball icon and an apostle of Developmental Basketball made a very strong case for introduction of State Sports Commission as an well organized structure to effectively run sports associations as a serious business enterprise to attract corporate organizations' participation in the provision of first class facilities and development of sports in the country
He stressed that provision of such world class facilities would assist local coaches in encouraging them young ones to develop interest in playing the game
The Vateran Coach was however optimistic about the ability of the current leadership of NBBF led by Musa Kida to revive the local league capable of producing quality players that can compete with other big stars from NBA and other players in Europe for shirts in the D'Tigers
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