The ongoing Jordan Nwora Foundation Elite Basketball Camps holding in Abuja has received commendations from a member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Adamu Deshi Jalong.
According to the technical representative on the NBBF board, he is overjoyed with the initiative of Nigeria and Milwaukee Bucks star who is less than 6 months in the prestigious NBA.
Adamu who has witnessed two days of the camp holding in Abuja expressed joy at the turnout of kids that trooped to the Package B of the National Stadium, venue of the camp.
Speaking on the Abuja leg of the camp, Jalong described the event as heartwarming.
“I’m very impressed with the turnout of the kids. The excitement on their faces is very encouraging and even those that didn’t get kits are happy watching those that made the camp. The Camp here in Abuja has provided an outlet for the holidaying kids and their parents have little to worry about because their kids are busy with basketball and not out on the streets where they don’t know what they are up to.
“The Jordan Nwora Foundation Elite Basketball Camps is a great initiative that deserves commendation. For a rookie player like Jordan Nwora in the NBA to come with a programme like this is great. And to imagine that he did not even grow up in Nigeria and is doing this for other kids in his country and around Africa is commendable. I look forward to another Jordan coming out of these camps.”
The first of the Camps was held in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire before heading to Abuja. The next port of call will be Gombe to be followed by Makurdi and then Onitsha rounds it up for Nigeria.
The elite camps are endorsed by the basketball ruling body; Federation of International Basketball Association (FIBA) Africa Zone 3 under the leadership of Col. Sam Ahmedu, as well as the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and powered by sports kits giants Adidas.
The camp is being conducted under strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols and is led by Jordan Nwora’s father Alex Nwora, who is Nigeria’s Associate Head Coach. The elder Nwora is also the head coach of Erie Community College, Buffalo, New York.
Coach Nwora led Nigeria to a second-place finish at the AfroBasket 2017. He helped Nigeria to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China where Nigeria punched her ticket for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as the best-placed African team.
Other coaches at the camp are Coach Natosha Cummings-Price, head coach of Erie Community College women’s team. She led Cameroon to the AfroBasket Women 2019 in Senegal. Also on ground is Nicholas Sepe, who is the head coach of Niagara Community College in the state of New York.
