Nasarawa State Athletes Shine At Jordan Nwora Foundation’s Elite Basketball Camp.
Nasarawa State headlined the climax of the Jordan Nwora Foundation Elite Basketball Camp held at the Lafia Sports Arena on Tuesday, 26th July, 2022.
With over one hundred talents drawn from States in the Northern region of the Country, including the F.C.T, Abuja, partaking in the three-day intensive clinic under the supervision of world renowned Coaches, Janet Bamshabu clinched the Three Points Shootout Girls’ Category medal while Sewuese Vera Hyamber won the Girls’ Category Best Two Campers award as well as the Most Valuable Player, MVP, of the Clinic, respectively, for Nasarawa State.
Other winners include Daniel Ogbo from Benue State(Three Points Shootout winner, Boys’ Category); Ogwuche David Simon from Benue State(winner, Slam Dunk, Boys’ Category); Victoria Johnson from Benue State(winner, Skills Challenge, Girls’ Category); Emmanuel Ameh from Kogi State(winner, Skills Challenge, Boys’ Category); Faith Peters from F.C.T. Abuja(co-winner, Best Campers, Girls’ Category); Israel Philip from Bauchi State(co-winner, Best Campers, Boys’ Category) and Buman Dickson from Adamawa State(co-winner, Best Campers, Boys’ Category).
Some of the participating athletes expressed delight for the opportunity offered to them, expressing optimism that the programme had opened the vista for them to attain their basketball career dream.
Sewuese Vera Hyamber from Nasarawa State who won the MVP and Best Campers awards said, “This programme has helped me to build my basketball skills and to become a better player.
“I wish I could get a scholarship from this to further my education and basketball career.
“I thank our Governor and Jordan Nwora Foundation for giving me this opportunity.”
Janet Bamshagbu who won the Three Points Shootout award for Nasarawa State disclosed thus: “I really appreciate Jordan Nwora Foundation for giving us this wonderful opportunity.
“I feel so happy for winning the three-point shootout award.
“I have learnt so much from this Elite Basketball Camp, and this will remain in me as I continue to work hard to take my basketball career to a higher level.”
Ogbo Daniel from Benue State won the Boys’ 3-point contest. He said “I feel very happy. It’s both full of fun and learning.
“I thank the organizers of the programme.
I wish this could be a continuous programme because I want to go higher in my basketball career.
“In fact, I want to be the best in the world.”
In his address, Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, thanked organizers of the programme for providing youth of the State and Nigeria the ample opportunity to rediscover their potentials.
“We thank His Royal Highness, the Andoma of Doma, for conceiving this kind of clinic.
“We thank our Royal Fathers and all the critical stakeholders for all their pieces of advice to support and encourage the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
“We thank, most immensely, Jordan Nwora, his Foundation and team members, both from America and Nigeria, for choosing Nasarawa State as the host for this impactful clinic.
“This clinic has a multiplier effect. The benefits cannot be enumerated because I can see among them, future players in the NBA.
“Rest assured that what you have started, only God knows the limit of it because the exposition these budding talents here have gotten, the lessons they have learnt will forever be in their memory and will spur them to greater heights.
“I make bold to say, apart from bringing Nasarawa State into the international limelight, this programme has also helped to project Nasarawa as a sport-loving State; a State that cares for her youth; a State that is willing to ensure that her youth excel in all spheres, and this could not be achieved without our Royal Fathers who continue to add their royal blessings to all the efforts of Government.”
The Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to make the State a sports destination in Nigeria.
“We have said this before, and we want to repeat it today that one of our goals is to make Nasarawa State the hub for sports development where talents can be discovered and harnessed for podium appearance anywhere in the world.
“We are working round the clock to ensure we have the right people and facilities on ground for these rising talents to enable them compete favourably with their counterparts around the globe.
“President of the Jordan Nwora Foundation has assured me that they would be coming back next year. By then, we will ensure we have an exceptional package for you.”
Giving the Vote-of-Thanks, the Andoma of Doma, HRH. Alh. Dr. Aliyu Ahmadu Ogah Onawo, appreciated Governor Abdullahi Sule for providing the needed resources and environment for the success of the programme.
“We are eternally grateful to the Governor for his endless support towards youth empowerment and sports development.
“Anytime we approach the Governor, he always meets our request.
“The success of this programme is attributed to him.
“We also thank the State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the good people of Nasarawa State for their immense support toward the successful completion of this Camp.”
He noted that it was his NGO’s humble contribution to the State and nation-building and development of human capacity for the overall good of the society, revealing that in a few weeks to come, the Andoma Foundation would draw talents from across the country to Nasarawa State to partake in the Andoma Foundation Basketball Tournament.
President of the Jordan Nwora Foundation, Hon. Anthony Nwora, together with the Director of Andoma Foundation, Professor Maikano Ari, presented Certificate of Appreciation to the Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule; Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe; Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Amb. Lucky Isaac Yargwa; Emir of Lafia, HRH. Hon. Justice(Rtd)Sidi Bage Mohammed(1); and Andoma of Doma, HRH. Alh. Dr. Aliyu Ahmadu Ogah Onawo.
Jordan Nwora is a Nigerian-American born basketball player who both plays for Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, and professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA in America.
The essence of the Elite Basketball Camp was to showcase the talents and capacity of the Nigerian youth to American Colleges and basketball coaches where the best talents are picked for academic and basketball development.
/Eche Amos