Guardian

AHEAD the Afrobasketball Championship scheduled for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on August, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Sunday opened the men’s training camp, which is expected to run till May 30.

In the camp are 12 players from the home league, who are battling for inclusion in subsequent camps, invitational tournaments and ultimately in the team to Abidjan in August.

The federation has also reappointed Coach, Ayo Bakare to head the team’s coaching staff as it aims to build on the success of the programme started in 2011 and ensure the sustainable growth of the team into a winning unit.

The Olympic team’s Assistant Coach, Sani Ahmed, as well as Union Bank Coach and ex- national Captain, Ayinla Johnson, were also returned to the senior team staff. Johnson left the team after the 2005/2006 season when he assisted Coach Sam Vincent.

Two young coaches, Abdulrahman Mohammed of Abuja team, Mark Mentors and Ogoh Odaudu of Port Harcourt-based Royal Hoopers were added to the coaching staff as a deliberate succession plan and to ensure that they grow with the program and take over at the appropriate time.

The federation hinted that it is considering an essential addition to the coaching staff with expertise in strength and conditioning and or statistics.

The NBBF also announced the coaching staff for the Afrobasket women’s team, with Scott Nnaji, who was head coach when Nigeria won the Afrobasket in 2005 in Abuja and was an assistant at Mali 2011, as head coach.

He is to be assisted by coaches Lateef Erinfolami of First Deepwater and Adewunmi Aderemi of First Bank. The staff also includes Coach Emmanuel Odah of FCT Angels and a female coach to be determined and announced later. They will form the succession pair for the future survival and success of the team.

The federation explained that the home-based staff was selected in anticipation of the impending FIBA change of calendar and competition format from 2017, which entails playing home and away for continental, world and Olympic qualifiers and therefore requires a unit that is easily mobilised and can stick together over long periods of time.