23rd May, 2011
Senior male wheeelchair basketball players are waiting on the Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball Federation, NWBF, to call them to camp ahead of the Africa Wheelchair Basketball Nations Cup, coming up in Morroco later in the year.
Assistant coach of the team, Mrs. Kemi Tunde, said the players are anxious to get down to serious training ahead of the Africa Nations Cup.
“The coaches and players are ready for the camping. We are just waiting on the Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball Federation. The plan of the coaches is to have the players in camp early enough to map out strategies that will help us surpass our last performance at the tourney,†she said.
She disclosed that the players are currently having light training at the outdoor basketball court of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, to maintain their fitness.
“Our target is to surpass our previous performance at the Nations Cup. Though we failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games during the qualifiers in Algeria, we will try our best not to miss out in the 2016 Olympics,†she assured.
The Nigerian wheelchair team were fifth at the qualifiers in Algeria, where they are ranked fifth in Africa, while the Algerian team are the new African champions.
—Bamidele Olowosagba