The national Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Basketball League after staging a remarkable comeback since over three years in limbo has continued. The sponsors, Zenith Bank and the organizers, Nigeria Basketball Federation, had expressed delight over the continuation of the league.
The second phase of the women’s league starts in Asaba and Lafia today and it is billed to end on September 24 after a round robin contest.
Already the organisers, the Nigeria Basketball Federation and the sponsors, Zenith Bank have expressed readiness and also gave assurances that the women’s league would be hitch-free all through the week. Customs topping with five wins in five games while defending Champions, Air Warriors, came second with four wins in five games.
Plateau Rocks and Nigeria Army with three and two wins respectively in the same number of games will have to double efforts to be in contention for the two tickets available in the zone for the finals billed for Lagos. Nasarawa Amazons (one win) and Kada Stars (no win) respectively are off the radar in the race for finals but will still feature in Lafia for the second face.
Four teams will feature in the finals next month in Lagos with two more expected to join from the Atlantic Conference.
The COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted the organization of the event between 2020 and 2021 while some administrative issues in the basketball family affected the completion in 2022.
The Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, expressed happiness over the return of the women league. Onyeagwu said: “This is our prime sports event and we are happy the ladies are having fun again. We are always ready to contribute to the development of sports and the years of absence were not deliberate but due to issues beyond our control.”
The Atlantic Conference of the league is more competitive, but First Bank recorded an unbeaten run with five wins in five games while Bayelsa Whales and MFM earned four and three wins in the same number of games. The battle for the two slots for finals in the second phase will be tough.
Dolphins, Sunshine Angles and IGP Queens had one win each.
The President of the NBBF, Musa Kida, said he was happy with the standard exhibited by the teams so far in the competition.
“We are happy the league is back but more importantly, the standard was also very high from the reports we collated from the two centers,” Kida said.
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