ABA League will unearth new basketball stars, says Abubakar
Founder and President of the Amateur Basketball Academies (ABA), Professor Aliyu Abubakar, says the inaugural ABA League in Abuja will provide a platform for young players to showcase their talents and develop into future professional basketball stars.
The league, which tipped off at the Mo Arena Basketball Court in Zone 5, Abuja, is designed to provide regular competition for players while creating a talent pool capable of replacing ageing stars and strengthening Nigeria’s basketball development pipeline.
Abubakar, a Deputy Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), described the large turnout, particularly in the U18 category, as evidence of the abundance of basketball talent across the country.
Speaking with journalists, he called for sustained investment in grassroots basketball, stressing that consistent development would help produce players capable of representing Nigeria at regional, continental and global competitions.
“We are experiencing a revolution in basketball, which I promised a long time ago. Today is a glorious day for basketball. Talent alone is not enough. You must remain disciplined, focused and committed to developing your skills,” Abubakar said.
He also urged the participating players to embrace hard work, discipline and a positive attitude as they pursue their basketball ambitions.
Chairman of the FCT Basketball Caretaker Committee, His Royal Highness Eze Ifeanyi Eke, backed Abubakar’s call for increased investment in grassroots basketball.
“These kids deserve their dreams to actually come true. They have a dream and the dream is to go higher. So, we have presented this very big platform for them. We need to invest in grassroots sports. We need to invest in grassroots basketball. We cannot allow our game to die while we sit and watch,” Eke said.
ABA technical consultant, Coach Emmanuel Odah, also identified neglect of grassroots development as one of the major challenges facing Nigerian sports.
Odah said the ABA League was established not merely to identify talented players but to create a sustained programme that would give them regular opportunities to develop their abilities.
“Our major goal in ABA is not to celebrate talents, but to celebrate a fulfilling programme that will churn out talent,” he said.
He pointed to former Nigerian football stars Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha and the late Philip Osondu as examples of gifted athletes whose skills could not easily be replicated after their generation.
“We need to put up a programme where you see the athletes come out every day, every time, give them the opportunity to become who they want to be,” Odah added.
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