South-East basketball tourney dunks off June 5 in Abakaliki

The South-East Basketball Tournament organised by Ugo Udezue, representative of the zone on the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, will dunk off on June 5 to 7 in Ebonyi state. Udezue, who is also the AFA Sports CEO, said the programme is part of efforts to promote grassroots basketball development and youth empowerment in the region. “Ebonyi State had no viable basketball court in the whole state, but the state is producing a lot of players. Half of the Coal City Blazers (the only Premier League team in the southeast) are from Ebonyi. “We cannot keep putting the burden on the government. As stakeholders, in addition to creating an enabling environment, we must commit to sports infrastructure, especially in the southeast, where football is the dominant sport. “We will continue to push development through infrastructure. We have donated uprights in Enugu for the indoor stadium, and have now built a court in Abakiliki. “We are grateful to other chairmen in the other states that have helped reinvigorate existing structures, and we will continue to push development through infrastructure.” The tournament will be held at the Ebonyi Shopping Mall, Abakaliki, with participating teams drawn from the five South-East states: Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Anambra, and Abia. A major highlight of the three-day event will be the commissioning of the Hon. Richard Idike Basketball Court, a facility facilitated by Udezue to help basketball development and talent discovery. The Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports in Ebonyi State, Richard Idike, is expected to attend as the Special Guest of Honour and will officially inaugurate the court during the tournament.