Mark says NBBF will organise more competitions in Nigeria

Igoche Mark, president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), has assured that the Federation will organize more competitions at the local level to promote the development of the sport from the grassroots.

Mark provided security during the closing ceremony of the first phase of the Mark D’Ball Men’s Basketball Championship on Saturday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

He said that the basketball federation was willing to improve and make the game as popular as soccer in the country.

“First of all, we thank the eight teams that participated, for their cooperation and high level of discipline, in this first phase of the championship. They (teams) did well in all their games.

“Our mission is to revive our national competition, and that is why the second phase of the championship will start next week on Sunday,” said Mark.

Mark Igoche, NBBF faction president

The Nigerian News Agency reports that in the matches on the final day of the competition, Police Baton beat Road Safety Knights 57-55 in the first match.

The Hot Coal Ballers then beat the AHIP Giants 68-55, while the Mo Heat defeated the APA Flames 126-76 in game three and the Gombe Bulls beat the Nile University Spartans 74-69 in the last game.

reports that Mo Heat from Nasarawa State finished first in the championship final table with 14 points.

Gombe Bulls finished second with 12 points and +66 goal difference while Hot Coal Ballers finished third with 12 points and +61 goal difference.

Nile University Spartans finished fourth with 10 points, while the APA Flames also finished with 10 points but had to take fifth place on goal difference.

Police Baton also finished with 10 points but is in sixth place.

Road Safety Knights finished in seventh place with nine points, while the AHIP Giants finished in eighth place with seven points.

reports that eight teams participated in the first phase of the competition that began on Sunday and ended on Saturday.