Nigeria has rich talent base Coach Nwora

Nigeria-born Erries Community College head coach Alex Nwora was in Nigeria recently to help with the conduct of the 2011 Dodan Warriors Prospects Camp held at the Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos alongside other coaches and declared emphatically that Nigeria is blessed with lots of basketball talents.

The Nigeria-born basketball tactician who is also the head coach of Cape Verde senior men national team and one of the arrow heads of Global Sport Advantage explained that he decided to be part of the Dodan Warriors programme due to the respect he has for the President of the Dodan Warriors Basketball Programme, Sam Ahmedu.

Coach Nwora told our correspondent that he has no doubt that Nigeria has the ability to rule the African continent and become one of the super-power of world basketball if a little more attention can be given the sport by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and the Nigeria government.

Coach Nwora thus pledge to be part of the camp and other programmes to ensure the continuous development of basketball in Africa.

He said Global Sport Advantage is commited to moving the game to the next level in Africa and the world.

We will continue to do our best in helping young players achieve their potential and I must say I am amazed with the pool of talents I saw on ground here during this camp it shows Nigeria has a bright future in the sport the only thing lacking is lack of adequate support from the government, the Nigeria Basketball Federation should also do more to attract more corporate sponsorship to its programmes aside the ones already secured for the league.

Global Sport Advantage is out to give helping hands to young players, clubs, federations across the Africa continent and other places where we feel we can render selfless services to improve the game and as our name implies Global we will take the message to all part of the world.

Meanwhile six players were selected by the four United States-based coaches present at the camp which was held between July 18 and 22 as the best campers.

Leading the pack of the selected player is the reigning slam dunk winner of the 2010/2011 DStv Premier Basketball League All-Star Weekend, Godwin Ikonshul, others include Victor Joseph, Oladipo Osunubi among others.

Coach Josh Bland of the Bridgeport University in Connecticut, United States, the camp was a tremendous success: This camp is one that I dont want to forget in a hurry because I was able to work with so much talent that it made me fulfilled just working out with them, he said.

I love coming out here to work with kids who really want to learn and are enthusiastic about the game. The campers, to my mind, are the best talents assembled and I want to commend Dodan Warriors management for it effort and hope that when we return next year, well have more players to work with.

While commending the talent-base, Bland said the players needed to understand how best to make use of it to become better in the game and learn life skills that would help them in future. The other foreign coaches present at the camp were Alex Nwora, Jackie Knowles and Simeon Akowe one time Dodan Warriors basketball club player.