We’re using Oriental Classics to energize Southeast basketball – AFA CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of AFA Sports, Ugo Udezue has said the Oriental Classics Basketball Tournament holding in Enugu is essentially designed to reinvigorate the game in that region.

Udezue who spoke from the Enugu venue of the competition said individuals and corporate bodies need to help organise competitions for teams and trainings for coaches and other officials for basketball in that region to truly reflect the potential available there.

He said, “We want to use our forum to energize basketball in the Southeast, not just as a game but a tool to give hope to the youths with all the distractions in life these days. We also will use this tournament to get our players prepared for the upcoming Nigerian basketball leagues and get our players more visibility and opportunities.”

Udezue who is also the Zonal Representative of the Southeast in the Nigeria Basketball Federation Board told reporters that the teams in that region need a lot of programmes to help them cope with the level of opponents in NBBF and private competitions at the national gatherings.

The NBBF Leagues have played over the years without clubs from the southeast even though there are always high numbers of players from that zone in other clubs and the national teams. This year they have been involved with the NBBF Division Two league but they could have cope when the women’s Zenith Bank League for the Atlantic Conference was staged.

It is also hoped that basketball will help a lot of the youths stay focussed to self development rather than get involved with the various illegal activities in the zone.

There are about 10 teams (men and ladies) from Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Imo and Ebonyi states in the competition. In one of the matches played on Sunday, Imo State defeated Ebonyi 41-37 in the men’s game.