By Joe Apu
The Nigeria Basketball Federation has called up 20 players for the first phase of camping ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games holding in Gold Coast, Australia.
According to the Secretary General of the NBBF, Chimezie Asiegbu who has communicated the respective clubs of the players, the camping exercise which will be supervised by the duo of D’ Tigers assistant coaches, Abdulrahman Mohammed of Gombe Bulls and Aderemi Adewunmi of Kwara Falcons will open in Lagos on the 5th of January, 2018.
The 20-man list is dominated by seven players from Kano Pillars while Gombe Bulls who recently made their continental debut have four players in the provisional list.
Mark Mentors of Abuja have two players while ASPAC basketball club of Benin, Rivers Hoopers, Bauchi Nets, Kwara Falcons, Niger Potters and Civil Defenders of Abuja all have one player each on the list. Also on the list is Bulls’ inspirational captain, Yakubu Abdulwahab, Mark Mentors reliable leader, Usman Musa and Kano Pillars 3points legend, Usman Abubakar.
A member of the 2017 AfroBasket silver winning team and Most Valuable Player of the 2017 FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup, Azuoma Dike as well as Abdul Yahaya who combined with Dike to power the D’ Tigers to their first 3×3 continental trophy in 2017were expectedly recalled to the fold.
Pillars Captain, Ogenyi Mathew will also have a chance to fight for national team jersey alongside fast rising Okpe Ocheibi Victor who was named as part of the starting five during the club championship elimination.
D’ Tigers will be participating in the XXI Commonwealth Games, 2018 Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia between 4 and 15 April, 2018.
Players and Officials are expected to report to camp with their training kits and travelling documents as traveling arrangements and registration of players are expected to commence immediately.