The project manager of PanAfricare, Terfa Akpoyibo has urged the Ministry of Sports, the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) as well as the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to begin preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Speaking during 50/50 shots fundraising events to celebrate his 50th birthday held at the Indoor Sports Hall, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, Akpoyibo said the game of basketball in Nigeria can only grow if there are more partnerships.
“The sports ministry, the federation, the NOC need to sit down and expand the stakeholders. The truth is that we have been doing the same thing, so we need to try new things.
“It’s exciting the D’Tigress attained that feat in Paris. These girls were ready to go regardless of what was happening in the basketball sector. They went to Paris with a huge pride despite their loss to the US. They need the right investment and environment. The government and everybody need to invest rightly so that in the 2028 Olympics, Nigeria should be able to further and better than they have done.
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“Any feat an athlete attains in any competition, I see it as an individual effort. It is not because the environment or the structure is there. A lot of Nigerians won medals for other countries; we should ask how they did it,” he said.
He further stated that the event was held to raise funds to pay examination fees for secondary school students.
“I have been around basketball for the past 10 years. I managed the PowerForward project where we see basketball as transforming power to young people. I have trained over 4000 young ones in basketball and leadership skills.
“The project is to make 50 shots to raise money for young ones in secondary school with each shot going for N10,000. The proceeds are to pay WAEC and NECO fees for these students,” he stated.
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