Top 50 giants of Africa basketball camp dunks off in Lagos

• Ujiri laments poor state of facilities

The 13th edition of Top 50 Giants of Africa Basketball camp, dunked off yesterday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.According to organizers of the event, the camping which is aimed at discovering and grooming young stars on the rudiments of basketball, will cut across all regions of Nigeria and other Africa countries.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday, Toronto Raptors General Manager, Masai Ujiri who is also the founder and president of Giants of Africa, stated that the mission was to assist youths actualize their dreams in basketball. He explained that the camping would also be used as a tool to educate the players on the basic rudiments on how to overcome life predicaments.

He also added that one of the challenges affecting basketball camping is lack of standard facilities available in the country for the youths to sharpen their skills.
“I am happy to be part of the success of assisting develop youths in the game of basketball in the country and across Africa. For a kid in Africa becoming an NBA star might be a big dream, but organizing a camp like this can reposition the minds of the young players on attaining success in the sports.

“I am also using the camp to help use basketball as a tool to get kids off the street and also achieve life goals. It is my obligation to give back to the country every summer, after leaving Nigeria when I was 19 years. Facilities to train this children has been a key problem to the experience coaches in the camp. I employ the private sector and the government to assist revamp the stadium facilities which is a big disgrace to the nation,” he said

Also speaking at the occasion, Category Manager, Nestle Milo, Bola Audu stated that his company, which is among the sponsors of Giants of Africa camp, would continue to support the sport, saying that the sponsorship of Nestle Milo secondary School Basketball championship has proved that the company is bent in developing the dunking game in the country.

FIBA zone 3 President, Col. Sam Ahmedu commended Ujiri for his steadfastness to develop Nigerian and African youths in basketball.