From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

No fewer than 28 Secondary School in the FCT Abuja will today jostle for honours in this year’s edition of the Bethphage Basketball Academy competition billed for the Indoor Sports Hall of the Abuja National Stadium.

Founder of the academy, Thomas-Wallace Okoro, who made the disclosure in a chat with Daily Sunsport in Abuja yesterday, emphasised that adequate arrangement had been made for the competition targeted at creating awareness on cancer, expressing confidence that this third edition would be spectacular. “We are into grassroots development of basketball for children between ages 4 to 19. This is the third edition of the championship and it is tagged “Abuja indoor schools basketball championship. We also want to use it to create awareness on cancer.

“This competition will help us promote a healthy living for cancer patience and to create awareness on the challenges associated with living with cancer. The aim is to use basketball to develop the character of the children. We have been able to instil discipline and leadership qualities in them. This competition is for junior category, and those that participate will later graduate into the senior secondary level,” Okoro said.

Speaking further, he explained that the academy was established to help transform the Nigerian basketball league and game, adding that the academy is working on partnering with the FCT Primary and secondary Education board for the development of basketball in various schools in the territory.

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He revealed that they are also working on a foreign training tour for the athletes to ensure they have the necessary international exposure, adding: “In the past four years we have worked with about 350 children comprising our summer camps, schools and championships they have attended.

“Some of the students have already started playing for the school team. Next year, we are going to Canada, Ghana and Holland because the children need exposure to know what it takes to operate on the higher level and that is the way to develop career and we should adopt that.

“From this competition we plan to have an All-Star team comprising two best players from each school brought together for about six months before we go out to compete. About 40 kids will be involved in that project,” he disclosed.

Although he did not reveal the prize money for the outstanding participants, Okoro however urged the FCT resident to turnout massively to grace the competition, as mouth-watering prizes would be up for grabs.