Joe Apu
The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF has revealed that the men and women’s league who be organized in a bubble.
The bubble which is akin to the 2020 NBA Bubble, also referred to as the Disney Bubble or Orlando Bubble, which will be an isolation zone is intended to bring the teams together to play in line with COVID- 19 protocols.
According to the technical committee chairman of the NBBF, Babs Ogunade, the federation is eagerly awaiting an all clear from the Ministry of Youth & Sports Development to get cracking. “The federation understands the feeling of our athletes not being in action for a long while and we have plans in the works to get back to action as soon as we get an all clear from the ministry. There is need for us all to take seriously the protocols of the COVID- 19.” Additionally, people need to understand too that several court injunctions have bedeviled the Premier Basketball League. By the time the matter is sorted out in court, we would announce how the league will be organized. Players, coaches and teams should be rest assured that the Premier Basketball League would return with a bang,” he stated. Speaking on the five years N150m partnership deal for Divisions 1 and 2, Ogunade said it is one of the best things to have happened to developmental basketball as it would further the growth of the game.
The Honorable Minister, Sunday Dare who commended the federation said the latest partnership is in line with Government’s plan for sports development which involves public and private partnership in sports through the Federal, State and Local Governments to cooperate and move sports forward, ensuring holistic grassroots sports development from bottom-up.
“The signing of this MoU demonstrates once again the good will and corporate social responsibility of Total E&P Nigeria in identifying with Basketball development in our country. This is transformational.”
