Owerri basketball classics dunks off wednesday

All is set for the 2022 Owerri Basketball Classics, which will dunk off from April 20 to 24 in Owerri, Imo State.

Photo: PEXELS

The Imo State Basketball Chairman, Kelechi Anosike, said that the event would feature 15 teams from across the zones with lots of prizes to be won.

“With the first edition held in December 2021, the second edition promises more excitement, with the likes of former D’Tigress captain, Joyce Ekworomadu, serial Afrobasket winners, Ndidi Madu, Adaora Elonu, Chukwudi Madubuam, Ike Diogu, Stan Okoye, Ekene Ibekwe, Ifunanya Ibekwe and Obi Emegano sponsoring teams to the four-day event,” Anosike said.

Speaking of the event, former international and 2017 Afrobasket silver medallist, Kelechi Anuna, said, “The tournament initiative is to provide hope and a sense of belonging for the Southeast and South-South youths. After the last edition in December, I knew that we needed to bring more national team players back to support. We are fortunate that many wanted to support basketball in Nigeria,” he said.

Anuna, who recently commissioned a basketball court in Imo State, added that seeing sports stars going back to their communities to build basketball courts and football pitches, while growing up, gave him the motivation to give back to society.

“As I grew older, and saw the state of basketball facilities and infrastructure in the east compared to other regions in Nigeria, I knew I had to do something. Every time I come home, I see the same thing year after year. Instead of waiting, I said the time is now, which led to the recent basketball court renovation in Owerri, where this competition will hold,” he said.

He assured that there are more plans and developmental programmes in progress to revive basketball in Imo State, Southeast, and other parts of Nigeria with the support of the Kelechi Anuna Foundation.