Joe Apu
The national men’s team in camp for the forthcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia is to be beefed up with four foreign based players.
According to the nbbfmedia, this was revealed by the assistant coach of D’Tigers, Aderemi Adewunmi at the national stadium Indoor Hall where the team is currently training noting that this is to give players not based in the country a chance to fight for shirts in the team and to create the right tactical balance for the team ahead of the competition.
“Some foreign based players are going to be invited to camp, but I think the bulk of the team will be home based. We will definitely beef up the team with few foreign based players.”
He praised the players currently in camp for putting up the right attitude and winning mentality in training which he said will brighten their chances of representing Nigeria.
“Some of the boys in camp were either called to camp during the preparation for the 2017 Afrobasket while others went with the team to Tunisia. So, the experience they have gathered so far will be invaluable.”
With Nigeria grouped alongside hosts Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the former assistant coach of the senior women’s national team is optimistic that with the right mentality and training, the team can spring surprises.
“They (New Zealand, Canada and Australia) are very good teams and Nigeria will definitely have very tough match-ups against these teams, but when we get there we will just play our game because basketball is a global language.
“The way they play in Australia is the same way they play in New Zealand, Canada and Nigeria, but how we play each team would determine who wins. It’s a good thing for our league because it has shown that the NBBF can depend on them. We have strong and experienced players in the league. Playing at the Commonwealth Games level will be very good for our league because it will afford them a platform to market the league to the world”
He heaped encomiums on the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports headed by Barrister Solomon Dalung for providing a conducive environment for the team as they intensify preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Making mention of training, feeding, transportation and accommodation arrangements which he described as top notch, he said the early camping exercise will boost Nigeria’s chances.
