Basketball in Africa

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has announced Lagos and Kano as host cities for the 2009 FIBA Africa Nations Championship for Men which the country has been given the right to host by the continental body. The Technical Director of the Federation Adamu Ahmed told that the two cities were chosen ahead of several others because of what the venues offered.

"The facilities are okay especially Abuja and we are already upgrading Lagos. But aside from the facilities these two centres can best be managed in every way with Lagos having very good basketball following," Adamu said.

Apart from the two centres Bauchi and Kano - both places with basketball clubs and culture are on standby should there be any need to move up to four venues instead of two. FIBA Africa gave Nigeria the option of using two or four centres. All four centres have played host to major basketball competitions in the past.

February 29th, 2009 has been fixed as the date for the draw and will hold at the Ladi Kwali Hall of Abuja Sheraton Hotel while the competition itself will hold from August 18th to 31st.

An NBBF team of the Technical Director and Secretary General Francis Gbiri are billed to be in Cairo, Egypt to defend their details before the FIBA Africa Central Board which will meet in Cairo on the 25th and 26th. Nigeria has hosted all continental basketball competitions and in the last five years hosted the All Africa Games, the FIBA Africa Women Championship (2005 in Abuja) and club champions cup for men in 2006 in Lagos

Pius Ayinor