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Kelvin Ekerete
It was a case of mixed blessings for Nigerian rookies who made their debuts in the National Basketball Association League opening games during the week.
Forward Isaac Okoro scored 16 points on his NBA debut to help Cleveland Cavaliers record a 121-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets in their season opener at the Quickens Loan Arena on Thursday.
Okoro also had three rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes.
Power forward, Precious Achiuwa, scored eight points and three rebounds in a 14-minute appearance for the Miami Heat in their 113-107 loss to Orlando Magic in their season opener. The Port Harcourt-born player showed energy and athleticism in the game, an attribute that is certain to hand him more minutes in coming games.
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Kelvin Ekerete
It was different tales for Nigeria’s representatives on the continent on Wednesday, after Rivers United defeated South African side Bloemfontein Celtic 2-0 away in their first round, first leg encounter on Wednesday, while Enyimba were beaten 3-0 in Sudan by Al-Merreikh in their CAF Champions League preliminary tie.
Godwin Aguda put Rivers in front in the 70th minute, while Fortune Omoniwari put the game beyond the hosts with an 80th minute strike to hand the Nigerians a comfortable lead going into the second leg in Port Harcourt in a fortnight.
A win in the second leg for the Pride of Rivers on January 6 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium will see them qualify for the playoffs phase of the competition.
Kelvin Ekerete and ’Tosin Oluwalowo
League Management Company chairman, Shehu Dikko, has disclosed that the body will meet with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 for clarification on the new guidelines and how it might affect the start of the 2020/21 league season, The PUNCH reports.
The sports minister, Sunday Dare, and the LMC had earlier confirmed December 27 as the resumption date for the Nigeria Professional Football League, which had been suspended since March, due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
But with the increase in new cases of the virus due to a global second wave, the PTF on Monday outlined new COVID-19 protocols.
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Tokyo 2020: FG pledges support for D’Tigers, D’Tigress The Punch
Kelvin Ekerete
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has promised that the ministry will assist Nigeria’s men and women’s basketball teams before and during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo next year.
It’s the first time an African country would have the men and women’s basketball team at the Olympics.
D’Tigers, the men’s senior basketball team, booked qualification for the Olympics through the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, while D’Tigress qualified for the games via the FIBA Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Serbia in February.
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Kelvin Ekerete
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has promised that the ministry will assist Nigeria’s men and women’s basketball teams before and during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo next year.
It’s the first time an African country would have the men and women’s basketball team at the Olympics.
D’Tigers, the men’s senior basketball team, booked qualification for the Olympics through the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, while D’Tigress qualified for the games via the FIBA Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Serbia in February.
The leadership of the Nigeria Basketball Federation led by Musa Ahmadu-Kida had earlier announced that the federation needed about $4m to adequately prepare and compete at the basketball events of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.