The West Africa Basketball Classics (WABC) is a basketball tournament organized by a group of well-meaning individuals from the FIBA Zone 3 to promote the development of basketball on the continent.
Spearheaded by Nigeria’s Olumide Oyedeji (D’Tigers captain and Olympian), the tournament was unveiled on Thursday afternoon in Lagos, with representatives of the other collaborating countries – Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic – in attendance.
Six Basketball clubs from all four countries (Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Benin Republic), will participate in the inaugural edition of the tournament. A tournament Olumide says “promises to be one of the best basketball tournaments on the continent.”
In attendance at the unveiling of the West Africa Basketball Classics (WABC) were dignitaries like the Chairperson of Lagos State Basketball Association, Barbara Atinuke Harper, Former National Basketball coach Agboola Pinero, Mr Frank Ilaboya amongst others.
The six teams that will be participating in the tournament include: Swallows of Togo; Gidi Giants of Lagos, Nigeria; ASPAC of Benin Republic; Kwara Falcons of Kwara, Nigeria; Ellan Cotonou of Benin and Braves from Ghana.
The inaugural West Africa Basketball Classics (WABC) tournament will be played in a round robin format with five games each in the first two rounds. The first round of matches will hold between 24th February and 2nd March in the home of the Swallows of Togo. The second round will take place in Benin Republic in April while the third and final round involving the final four teams will hold between June 8th – 12th in Ghana.
To wrap things up, we’re also working on an All Star game and dinner to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, Olumide Oyedeji said.
He added that “during the tournament, basketball clinics will also be organized in the participating countries and the winner of the inaugural edition of the West Africa Basketball Classics (WABC) will get an all-expense paid training tour to China.”
The games will be live on YouTube and there will also be lots of giveaways for the fans, he concluded.
Olumide who was elated to see his team’s efforts finally become a reality, revealed that discussions about promoting and improving the game had been ongoing for about 8 months before the team reached a logical conclusion which is now the West Africa Basketball Classics (WABC).
