Former NBA, WNBA stars thrill Abuja students as tourney enters final stage

The finals of the second edition of the ExxonMobil basketball Championship for Secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) began on a thrilling note with former NBA and WNBA stars thrilling the participants and fans to some exquisite moves at the Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.

The NBA and WNBA stars, who were drafted in as role models for the students, included Vice President of NBA Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall, Mactabene Amachree, Obinna Ekezie and captain of the reigning African champions, Olumide Oyedeji.

Speaking before the final match, which pitched Government Secondary School, Karu, against Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Amachree, who was the first Nigerian female player at the WNBA, emphasised the need for the players to embrace education as they try to make a name for themselves in basketball.

She stressed that the combination of education and sports would put them in good stead as future leaders in the country.

Earlier, the Group Medical Director of ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, Mohammed Bello Aliyu, who enumerated the contributions of the oil giants in the development of basketball at the grassroots level, noted that apart from sports, the oil company has promoted healthy living, with its foundation engaged in a range of philanthropic activities that improve education and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in the developing countries since 2014 through its partnership with Africare.