Nigeria Basketball Federation invites 20 for Commonwealth Games

The Nigeria Basketball Federation has called up 20 players for the first phase of camping ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

A memo signed by the Secretary General of the NBBF, Chimezie Asiegbu and sent to the respective clubs, detailed that the camping exercise which will be supervised by the D’Tigers assistant coaches, Abdulrahman Mohammed of Gombe Bulls and Aderemi Adewunmi of Kwara Falcons will open in Lagos on the 5th of January.

The 20-man list has 7 players from national champions Kano Pillars while Gombe Bulls who recently made their continental debut have 4 players in the provisional list.

Mark Mentors of Abuja have 2 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.

A few of the notable names on the list includes Bulls captain, Yakubu Abdulwahab, Mark Mentors’ leader, Usman Musa and Kano Pillars 3-points legend, Usman Abubakar.

A member of the 2017 Afrobasket silver winning team and Most Valuable Player of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 club championship elimination, Abdul Yahaya was certainly not a surprise call up just as Dike Azouma who powered the D’Tigers to their first 3×3 continental trophy in 2017.

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 5 during the club championship elimination.

The D’Tigers will be participating in the XXI commonwealth Games, 2018 Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia between April 4 and 15, 2018.

Full list of invited players

1. YAKUBU ABDULWAHAB                 – GOMBE BULLS
2. USMAN MUSA MOHAMMED        – MARK MENTORS
3. USMAN ABUBAKAR                         – KANO PILLARS
4. SALIU PRECIOUS OSIGBODI            – ASPAC
5. OKPE OCHEIBI VICTOR                    – MARK MENTORS
6. OKEKE JAMIL                                     – GOMBE BULLS
7. OGENYI MATHEW                            – KANO PILLARS
8. KOKO VICTOR ANTHONY                – RIVER HOOPERS
9. ISTIFANUS YAKUBU SYLVANUS     – GOMBE BULLS
10. DIKE AZUOMA                                  – KANO PILLARS
11. AKITA AKPATA                                  – BAUCHI NETS
12. ADEMOLA DELE DANIEL                 – KANO PILLARS
13. ABDUL YAHAYA                                – KANO PILLARS
14. DENNIS IBIKORO                              –  UNATTACHED
15. GODWIN DAVID                               – KWARA FALCON
16. IBE ABUCHI AGU                              – GOMBE BULLS
17. GIDEON GEORGE                             – NIGER POTTERS
18. SUBEL LUCKY                                    – KANO PILLARS
19. JOEL EJIGBA                                      – DEFENDERS

OFFICIALS

1. ABDULRAHMANMOHAMMED – COACH
2. ADEWUMI ADEREMI – COACH