Nigeria will for the first time in a decade host an international basketball competition after winning the bid to host the 2017 FIBA Africa Club championship zonal elimination finals.
The 2016 edition which took place in Togo will now be hosted by Nigeria this year after the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, met all the criteria by FIBA Africa zone 3.
President of the NBBF, Engineer Musa Kida said having been out of international circulation for the past 10 years, it was high time Nigeria claimed her rightful place in Africa.
Arising from its board meeting which was held in Lagos on Monday, the board unanimously agreed that the absence of any meaningful international competition in Nigeria has adversely affected the clubs.
“The cost of prosecuting these international competitions by these clubs when they travel out will be at least reduced by 50%. Now, clubs participating in the elimination series will only be worried about internal transportation, accommodation and payment of allowances for their players.”
Kida said the move to host the event slated for October 19th to 29th is part of plans to rewrite the story of Nigerian basketball as a force to reckon with in Africa.
Meanwhile, the federation is considering biding for the 2017 FIBA Africa Women’s club championship slated to hold in November.
