By Joseph Onjewu
*NUGA Basketball Chairman predicts tough final
Hosts Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) did not disappoint their fans as they led the pack of teams to qualify for the final of the Ahmadu Musa Kida Foundation/Nigeria University Games (AMK/NUGA) maiden 3×3 Basketball Competition which is scheduled to begin in Abuja on March 2, 2017.
They emerged from the second qualifiers which was concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Indoor Gymnasium Hall, ABU, Zaria.
They would be joined by Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Kaduna State University, Kano University of Science and Technology Wudil and the University of Ilorin, who also topped the table respectively.
Bayero University, Kano were not so lucky as they finished at the sixth spot, also unlucky were those who finished beneath them on the table.
They are Federal University Lokoja, Federal University Dutse, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBUNI), Lapai, University of Maiduguri and Federal University, Dutsinma, Katsina State.
For the female category, Bayero University topped the table, University of Ilorin were second and hosts ABU finished third. The three teams have qualified for the finals.
They would be joined by teams that had earlier qualified from Lagos zone, led by the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Others are University of Ibadan (UI), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State University (ESUT) and Benson Idahosa University (BIU).
For the female category, UI leads the pack, UNILAG follows, BIU,UNN and UNIZIK complete the list respectively.
When asked to comment on the outcome, NUGA Basketball Chairman, Professor Adamu Ahmed said he expects a tough competition in Abuja from March 3.
He said that those that qualified from both qualifiers in Lagos and Zaria did so after stiff competition, but should prepare themselves for an even stiffer outing in Abuja when the best of the best converge.
Professor Ahmed praised the AMK Foundation for keeping faith with NUGA Basketball in bankrolling the competition, while assuring that only the best team will emerge to represent Nigeria at the World Universities Tournament.
The AMK Foundation is a non profit charity organization with interest in youths empowerment through sports. President of the Foundation Engr Musa Ahmadu Kida, is a former senior National Basketball player and Board member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the ABU Basketball Foundation.
Professor Ahmed is one time National Basketball team player and Chairman Technical Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation.
It would be recalled that AMK Foundation has for two years running been the sole sponsor of the West Africa 3 Aside basketball tournament.
