D’ Warriors host games in honour of Joe Erico

Nigeria Premier Basketball League side Dodan Warriors, in conjunction with D’Tigers star Michael Eric will on Tuesday, honour late Super Eagles assistant coach Joe Erico at the team’s home court. The centre is in the Ilupeju area of Lagos.

The programme according to the organising committee working with D’ Warriors confirms that the games will start at 4:00pm with a line up of matches between Friends of Michael Eric and Warriors Academy; Team Eric Junior against Warriors and a basketball exhibition game by the national Wheelchair Basketball team.

Erico, a former national team goalkeeper for Nigeria was said to have contributed immensely to the development of wheelchair basketball in Lagos through donations, encouragement and motivating to players tasking them to remain steadfast while insisting during his lifetime that there is always ability to succeed despite their situation.

The ‘Jogo bonito’ football exponent held close ties with the Warriors Basketball Programme from where his son, Michael Eric horned his basketball skills with the Warriors Basketball Academy before heading out of Nigeria to study and play professionally.

Michael represented Nigeria at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup held in China where Nigeria punched a ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games now due to hold in July.

The basketball star currently plying his trade in Europe is due in the country for the programme and will also give back to help younger players achieve their set goals in the game.

Expected at the event are friends and associates of the former coach in the Aspire Football Dreams Project where he worked with Col. Sam Ahmedu (Retd), Uthman Okunnu, Godwin Malu and Ajani Abogun, basketball players as well  as sports administrators.

Erico died on January 21 in his sleep.