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Poor Funding Hampers Basketball Dev

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Female basketball players  in competition

Female basketball players in competition

The Nigeria Basketball
Federation (NBBF) has attributed the challenges facing the sport in the country to the failure of governments to meet their obligations to sports development.
NBBF’s Technical Commissioner, Ajibarede Bello, made the assertion in an interview with newsmen on Saturday, in Asaba, at the ongoing Zenith Bank Female Basketball League.
He said that over the years, basketball in Nigeria had suffered untold hardships due to poor funding and lack of facilities, a situation, he noted, had affected its development.
“It is saddening that governments have failed to meet their obligations to the development of basketball, and other sports which have kept us where we are today in the global sports.
“The development of facilities in the country has been stagnant. Sports development is big business and you cannot achieve success without adequate funding.
“Take for instance, only Dolphins of Port Harcourt among the teams playing in the league have standard training facilities.
“We should not forget that standard facilities are key to sports development,’’ he said.
Bello also lamented the welfare packages for players in the national league, stressing that due to lack of funding, many teams had failed to meet their obligations to players to encourage them.
He observed that many of the players in the league were not placed on salaries, adding that many of them struggled to acquire training kits and other personal effects needed for personal development.
“In terms of players’ development, we are lagging behind because what we have in the league today are just semi-professionals who do not have stable means of livelihood.
“There are no incentives to motivate the players.
“The governments need to step up funding to promote basketball because over the years, Nigeria has remained a basketball powerhouse in Africa.
“Only last year, we were crowned African champions,’’ Bello said.
On the standard of the ongoing tournament, the commissioner said that the federation was impressed with the quality of play, acknowledging the competitiveness of the participating teams.
He said: “The standard of this tournament has been very high because no team is a push over, you can see that everybody is sweating to win.
“We are very impressed with the performances of the teams.’’
Bello, who gave kudos to the Delta Basketball Association for providing the administrative framework for the success of the tournament, also lauded the level of officiating at the tournament.
“As a technical official, I must tell you that officiating at this tournament have been very fair.
“We have no problem with that. We are impressed by the conduct of the officials handling the games,’’ he said.
That in some of the games played on Friday night, First Deep Water beat Oluyole Babes 56-48; Customs defeated AHIP 74-57, while Delta Force beat GT 2000 49-46.

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European Giants Circle For Osimhen

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Victor Osimhen will be the centre of attention as several of Europe’s biggest clubs send scouts to yesrerday’s Intercontinental Derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the Nigerian forward set to play a decisive role in the Super Lig title race

Representatives from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Juventus were expected to be present at Rams Park, underlining the scale of interest in both the fixture and its standout performers.

Reports in Turkish media indicate that the derby will serve not only as a key moment in the domestic title race but also as a platform for transfer discussions and strategic collaborations between clubs.

According to those reports, top European sides have secured places at the stadium with a dual purpose.

“Europe’s leading representatives will be present at the stadium within the framework of both player transfer and cooperation,” ,” Milliyet reported.

“Real Madrid, Barcelona, among many clubs, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Napoli and Juventus, have made reservations for today’s match.”

Osimhen was expected to be among the primary players under observation, alongside teammates Baris Yilmaz and Gabriel Sara, with scouts closely monitoring their performances in one of the most high-profile fixtures in Turkish football.

The report further noted, “Victor Osimhen, Yilmaz and Sara were at the top of the watch list and that the interest would mainly be in these players.”

It also highlighted broader discussions beyond player recruitment, stating, “Apart from this, ideas will be exchanged for strengthening relations between the clubs and new joint agreements.”

The Nigerian striker’s presence came at a crucial point in the season, with Galatasaray holding a four-point lead over second-placed Fenerbahce and knowing that victory would all but secure the league title with three matches remaining.

Osimhen recently returned from injury, making a brief appearance in the cup defeat to Genclerbirligi after missing four games, a period during which Galatasaray’s form showed signs of inconsistency.

His absence coincided with a mixed run of results in April, where the league leaders recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat, including a loss to Trabzonspor and a draw at home to Kocaelispor.

Defensively, Galatasaray have also shown vulnerability, conceding in each of their last six matches across all competitions, a concern ahead of a fixture that could define their campaign.

The derby follows disappointment in the Turkish Cup, where Galatasaray suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to Genclerbirligi, while Fenerbahce were also knocked out after a 1-0 loss to Konyaspor

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Tennis Event Boosts Grassroots Development Push

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A tennis tournament held in honour of Olusola Odumosu, Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps FCT Command, has been described as a major step towards grassroots sports development and youth engagement.

The three-day competition, staged at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, began midweek , last week and ended on Friday, attracting young players across different categories.

On the court, top-ranked player Canice Abua won the men’s singles title after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory over Lucky Danjuma, who is ranked fourth nationally.

In the boys’ category, Unity Alex defeated Khaleed Dalha in straight sets to win the title, while Salvation Alex triumphed over Opeyemi Olademeji to win the girls’ singles event.

Odumosu, who marked his birthday with the event, said the initiative was designed to uncover young talent and strengthen the foundation of tennis development in Nigeria.

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W/Cup Qualifier: Flamingos In Impressive Opener

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Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, opened their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 6-0 victory over Generation Next in Abuja as head coach Akeem Ishola Busari continues to shape his squad.

The emphatic win came during a 60-minute friendly at the Goal Project at the weekend, where the Flamingos took control early and led 4-0 at half-time before the match was halted in the 54th minute due to heavy rain.

Goals were spread across the squad, with Shavih Istifanus opening the scoring inside the first minute, followed by a brace from Tobiloba Sarafa in the 10th and 23rd minutes.

Harmony Chidi added the fourth in the 28th minute, while Aminat Adebisi struck just before half-time and Precious Paul completed the scoring early in the second half.

The match forms part of a busy training camp in Abuja, where Busari has invited 36 players as Nigeria step up preparations for their second-round qualifier against Guinea.

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