The lull witnessed over the years in the dunking game of basketball gave way to jubilation as the much anticipated 2022 edition of Mark D Ball Basketball Championship got underway inside Indoor Sports of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Saturday with Sunshine Angels of Akure overpowering Hotcoal Slizzers of Abuja 28-20.
Already 16 teams are on ground for the Basketball festival with women playing for 8 days while the Men dunk for a total of 12 weeks.
An excited Igoche Mark Coordinator of the Championship, who addressed the participants, expressed joy that life has finally returned to the courts and that basketball is bouncing again in Abuja courts , as he urged the players to make the most of the tournament.
He gave insight into the vision behind the New Face of Basketball Project, noting that the project is focused on the reviving the domestic component of the slam and dunk game and unite disparate basketball stakeholders.
“The championship we are starting is just the young talents a chance to play and then we take it from there. For me I want to see how the players can play as many games as possible. In the NBA for example,in the regular season they play up to 82 games. Even though we cannot play up to 82 games ,but let’s play something close in a season.
“That’s the whole idea, that’s what we are trying to do. So my message to all basketball stakeholders is let’s come.together. the reason why we are basketball stakeholders is because we love the game of basketball.
“So we have something in common, just like the team playing right now. You might be in the court and for some reason, you don’t like me .but if we want to win, if I’m free, you have to throw the ball to so that I can score.”
Basketball is a team game . Also our success has to be team effort. I urge all basketball stakeholders, let’s come together let’s join hands let’s develop this game we so love.”