Honeywell wants government support as Rangers win Youth Alive basketball competition

With 61 solid points, Rangers Basketball Academy emerged winner of the Under 19 Boys category of this year’s Youth Alive Basketball competition, which held at Rowe Park Sports Complex, Yaba, on Monday.

In the keenly contested match, the Rangers boys defeated their archrival, Raptors Academy Surulere, which scored 57 points.

In the U-13 category, Ogborikoko Warri emerged champions with 53 points, Raptors won the U-16 category, while Deepbond Global Basketball Academy won the U-19 Girls category with 29 points.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola, whose company co-sponsored the tournament, solicited government continuous support for basketball game, saying private initiative in this sector is not enough to take the sport to its desired level.

Jaiyeola, represented by Media Manager, Mrs. Nnenna Uche-Onyenacho predicted a brighter future for basketball in Nigeria going by the performance of kid players in the tourney.

Describing the competition as a huge success, he said the game will improve tremendously if government gave it proper attention.

“In efforts to make the society feel our impacts, we have made basketball a choice, not just to discover talents, but also to build talents. Beyond that, it is also to remove the youths from the streets, from social vices and make them have a direction to realize a dream by building a career,” he said.

According to him, Honeywell will continue to support good cause especially those that has to do with grassroots development in sports.

Youth Alive is the brain child of Deepbond Global Sport Initiative of the Lagos State Basketball Association, using sports to enable youth of diverse background in the country and beyond to fulfill God’s perfect will concerning their lives.