Basketball in Africa

Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Secretary-general, Francis Gbiri has said that the national male and female teams will hold trials in June to select their teams to the 9th All Africa Games to be hosted by Algeria, July 11 - July 23 in Algiers.
Gbiri said in Lagos that the men's team would hold their trials in Dallas while the women's team trials would hold in Houston, both in the U.S.

The secretary said that the team would build on their performance at the 2003 8th All Africa Games hosted by Nigeria in Abuja.
The female team would play in group B with Mali, Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya and Zimbabwe, while the male team would play in group B along side Cameroon, Liberia, Angola, Mali and Congo, Kinshasa.
Gbiri said that as part of preparations toward the Africa Games, the female league, sponsored by Zenith Bank would now kick-off it's first leg tournament in Abuja.
The event, originally planned to hold in Kano was shifted to Abuja for between May 3 and May 9.
The second leg of the competition would also hold from May 9 to May 17 in Abuja while the third leg would hold in Asaba, May 18 - May 25. The final leg would hold in Lagos between May 26 and June 2.
Gbiri sald: "I believe in my players and I know they are going to make the country proud".
The federation would invite one of it's coaches, Kelvin Cook from U.S. by mid May.
Meanwhile, Gbiri also said that screening for the National U-19 players would hold in Kaduna from May 4 - May 9 as part of their preparations for the African Cup of Nations as well as a World championship to be staged in in Yugoslovia some time in July.
The U-19 players are in group C amidst of Australia, Canada and Turkey.

# posted by afrbk : 13:07