The U-16 National basketball team over the weekend departed for Cape Verde for the 2019 FIBA U-16 African championship.
The team sponsored by Nestle Milo, Nigeria will be participating in the competition which will be held in Praia (Capital City of CapeVerde) between July 8-14.
10 players were invited from the schools that participated in the 2019 Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship while 2 others were carefully selected from basketball academies by head coach, Fubara Onyenabo.
Topping the list is Dickson Kuti (Gen. Murtala Mohammed College, Yola), Isah Faruk and Usman Aminu both from Father O’Connel College, Minna while the duo of Okpara Ebuka Emmanuel and Okpe Precious were selected from Brilliant College, Port Harcourt.
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Others on the list are Ighovodji Joy (Victoroti Private Secondary School, Abeokuta), Okomire James Ethuke (Epie National High School, Yenagoa), Esuola David (Western College, Yaba), Mumini Momoh (Kings International College, Ibadan), Koko Anthony Ifeanyi (DAFF Academy, Port Harcourt), Reuben Abuchi Chinyelu (Raptors Academy, Lagos) as well as Dennis Bormini Victor (Belary Schools, Yenagoa).
The delegation was also made up of Tony Nelson (assistant coach), Col Sam Ahmedu (National Coordinator NMSSC), Umaru Kudu (Nigerian Schools Sports federation), Lanre Balogun (NCSF), Oseghale Okosun (Nestle Milo), Dr Bojuwoye Bukola (Team Doctor), Samue Shofoluwe (Accompanying Referee) as well as Ekerete Kelvin and NBBF Board member, Suraj Yusuf, who is the leader of delegation.
Nigeria will be hoping to better its 5th placed finish when it last qualified for the competition in 2015.
The country’s best placed finish was in 2009 when the team won a bronze medal at the inaugural edition. The championship serves as qualifiers for the 2020 FIBA U-17 World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria.
