A former D’Tigers captain, Olumide Oyedeji, on Tuesday in Ibadan said the ongoing South-West Basketball Showdown would greatly help develop the sport in the region.
Oyedeji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that already the South-West geo-political zone is the home of basketball in Nigeria.
“If we look back at the number of champions and legends the game has produced in the country, one will agree that the South-West is the hub of basketball talents’ discovery.
“I decided to bring teams in the South-West together to promote unity, togetherness, friendship and exhibit the players’ skills and help them compete against one another,” he said.
NAN reports that teams from Lagos, Oyo and Ondo states alongside counterparts from Ogun, Ekiti and Osun are participating in the competition.
The former national captain further said the competition, which is the maiden edition, would be followed by a Secondary Schools Basketball Competition in the South-West.
“I’m the South-West representative in the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board. But even if I’m not the representative, I still love basketball and I have been doing this for 25 years.
“I’m glad to be doing this because this is my home. I was brought up here, discovered and nurtured here into basketball.
“I must say that the team that surprised me the most so far in the competition is the Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan and I give kudos to the coach for being able to put the team together in a few days,” he said.
NAN reports that the competition, which will end on Friday is being sponsored by Oyedeji with the provision of feeding, kitting and accommodation for all participants.(NAN)
