Sports
NGO Set To Train Nigeria Basketball Coaches
An international Non-governmental Organisation, NGO with deep passion to promote grassroots sports, Sports Renaissance Africa Partners, SRAP has signed a partnership agreement with Ganon Baker on training of coaches for the development of basketball in Nigeria.
SRAP’s Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Relindis Mbu who disclosed this while interacting with sports journalists in Abuja on Friday noted that with the right coaching and training resources, Nigeria would soon return to basketball’s elite ranks.
She said that the organisation has decided to host a globally recognised coaching workshop with famous basketball skills coach, Ganon Baker in order to achieve this goal.
Relindis stressed that chosing America’s Ganon Baker for such laudable initiative is because the company has been into training and coaching for over three decades; working with the NBA, WNBA, CBA, Euro League, NCAA, NJCAA, U Sports and more. He is a former Nike Skill Development Trainer and Workout Director, among others.
“At SRAP, we are passionate about bringing in experts from the world with a tactical experience that can help develop our young talents.
“The training clinic and certification programme with the renowned Ganon Baker will hold in Abuja at the Package B, Moshood Abiola National Stadium from August 15 to August 20, and it would be moved to Lagos from August 22- August 27, at the OBN Academy Facility”, she said
According to Relindis, SRAP is working with Baker because of his vast experience in the game and his systematic curriculum that takes young players from zero to pro.
“Ganon Baker is committing to contextualizing his comprehensive Zero-To-Pro curriculum for
basketball coaches and athletes in Nigeria, hosting LIVE sessions in Nigeria at least 4 times a year, as well as LIVE trainings with eligible Nigerian athletes and coaches in his state of the art basketball facility in Florida, USA.
“He has opened up access to his strong network of talent management and within the global basketball ecosystem.
“Ganon Baker’s curriculum is more detailed and comprehensive than any other out there in the basketball space, and available ONLINE and LIVE. His holistic approach gives a coach or player everything they need for their complete physical, mental and emotional development”, said Relindis Mbu.
She added that SRAP would also be working with other stakeholders to ensure better exposure and scouting for young Nigerian talents.
Terfa Akpoyibo, Chief Operating Officer of SRAP, also said that the coaching clinic with Baker would be a continuous programme and would go a long way in developing Nigeria’s grassroots basketball.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
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