Head coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national basketball team, Alex Nwora has named six foreign based players for the 2017 Afrobasket in September.
The six players who ply their trade abroad arrived Nigeria on Sunday morning. They will join the 14 home based players named on Monday in their training camp in Lagos.
D’Tigers captain Ike Diogu is the only member of 2015 Afrobasket winning squad invited for the Afrobasket next month.
The foreign based players are Odunsi Anthony Abayomi (Houston Baptist University), Mbamalu Ikenna Bryanther (CB Agustinos Eras of Spain), Nwamu Ikechukwa (University of Nevada), Akingbala Akinlola ( Saenz Horeca Araberri of Spain) , Ike Diogu ( Jiangsu Monkey King) , Iroegbu Ikenna (Washington State Cougars).
The President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Musa Kida, has said the selection ratio will be equal. He said the six home based players selected from the 14 players in camp will be added to the six foreign based players to make up the final list for the tournament.
“The selection ratio will be 50-50 for now. After the 2017 Afrobasket men finals, the NBBF board will look at the ratio, if it is comfortable for us, we will continue with it if it is not, we may change it to 60-40 ratio,”he said .
Kida said his board is set out to develop the game of basketball from the grassroots.
Captain of the home based D’Tigers, Azuoma Dike expressed excitement at the new development.
“We are excited with this new innovation.With this new development, we are going to have something like six players or more from home based.
“This is the first time I am seeing something like this happening in Nigeria basketball.”
The 2017 Afrobasket tips off on September 8 to be co-hosted by Tunisia and Senegal.
