DStv League Playoffs: B/Ball Clubs Begin Title Chase

Four teams, two each from the Savannah and Atlantic conferences, will begin battle for the Nigerian basketball league title when the national final four playoffs dunks off  inside the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos today, reports Bamidele Olowosagba.

Former champions, Kano Pillars of Kano and Mark Mentors of Abuja are from the Savannah conference, while Union Bank and Dodan Warriors, both of Lagos, will represent the Atlantic conference in the season ending championship which is scheduled to end on Friday.

According to the League Director, Muktar Khaleh, the three days tourney would be played in a round-robin format where the team with the highest number of points will emerge the eventual winners of the 2012/2013 league season.

“The winning team would go home with the sum of N1m, while the second and third placed teams will pocket  N750, 000 and N500, 000 respectively. Individual awards would be given to deserving players at the end of the competition,”  Khaleh, who is also the Vice-President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, told P.M.NEWS Sports at a press conference held by the sponsor of the league, Multichoice Nigeria, in Lagos on Tuesday.

Coach Ayinla Johnson-led Union Bank will take on Mark Mentors in the first match billed for 3p.m., while Kano Pillars will battle Dodan Warriors in today’s last match at 5p.m.

Meanwhile, the General Manager, Sales and Marketing of Multichoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, said plans have been put in place to prevent empty stands at the match venue.

Apart from the league title, the winners and the second place team will represent Nigeria at the upcoming African Club Championship holding in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea from 29 November to 8 December.