Basket federation invites 14 as national team hits camp Monday

THE Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Sunday in Abuja invited 14 home-based players to camp of the Senior Male National Team D’Tigers expected to open on Monday, Feb. 9.

A statement from Femi Adefeso, a member of the NBBF Media Committee, noted that the invited players were expected to report at Parkview Hotel on Sunday for training to start on Monday.

The statement added that the team would now be coached by D’Tigers’ former Assistant Coaches Sani Ahmed and Ayinla Johnson, who would now be the coach and assistant coach respectively.

“The invited players are to report at Parkview Hotel, Abuja, on Feb. 8, while training sessions begin on Monday, Feb. 9.

“The team will be coached by familiar faces, former D’Tigers assistant coach Sani Ahmed and be assisted by Ayinla Johnson.

The home-based players will, however, be joined by a number of international players in due course,’’ the statement read.

The invited players include Abubakar Usman (Kano Pillars), Stanley Gumut (Mark Mentors), Mathew Omonya (Kano Pillars), Ibrahim Yusuf (Kano Pillars) Abdul Yahaya (Mark Mentors) and Moses Odaudu (Mark Mentors).

Other players include Victor Anthony (Mark Mentors), Azuoma Dike (Dodan Warriors), Timothy Kwaor (Mark Mentors), Onyeka Okeke (Kano Pillars) and Ibrahim Okpe (Lagos Islanders).

The remaining players are Dele Ademola (Kano Pillars), Adeolu Ojo (Kano Pillars) and Abdulwahab Yakubu (Kano Pillars).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that D’Tigers are preparing for the Joint 2015 Afrobasket qualifiers/ 2015 All Africa Games qualifiers (AAG).

They would play Burkina Faso in the 2015 Afrobasket qualifiers later in February, while the AAG is scheduled to hold in Congo Brazaville in September. (NAN)