LAGOS (Youth programme) - The national Under-18 championship for boys and girls will start Saturday at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano and will run through next weekend. The age grade championship is being organised by Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
The board of the Federation had met last December and decided that the national U18 championship needed to be revived effectively to go with an earlier decision to ensure that the Division one and two leagues hold annually after the near two-year break. The U18 event was last played nearly four years ago. And by last Monday the interest to feature had grown amongst states.
“It is difficult to say the exact number now but the call and enquiries have been enormous. As usual we wait until the pre-tournament meeting before we can be sure of the teams in town,” Muktar Khaleh, the NBBF member co-ordinating the event in Kano said.
Quality players will be selected from the championship to form the base for the next U18 national teams, we were told.
By Pius Ayinor
FIBA
