NAN-S-3
Basketball
By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos, Oct. 9, 2017 (NAN) The Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, is to wear a new look ahead of the 2017 FIBA Africa Zone 3 club championships eliminations starting on Oct. 19 2017.
The Vice-President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the competition, Babatunde Ogunade in Lagos made the assertion on Monday in Lagos.
Ogunade said that it was necessary to put the planned venue in proper shape in readiness for the competition.
“The competition will feature 32 clubs (men and women) from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Liberia.
“The new look will be without any structural changes. The federation will make the necessary facelift to some of the facilities inside the Indoor Sports Hall.
“The venue last hosted a continental event more than 6 years ago when First Deepwater hosted the FIBA African Women Club Championship in 2011.
“We have concluded plans at the federation level to ensure that we put the venue in good condition to host a massive event such as this,’’ Ogunade said in a statement.
He added that it would be the first time in a long while that the federation would be volunteering to host an international competition which, he said, would give it good publicity.
“The lights will be replaced with modern and latest energy saving industrial bulbs, which will reduce the heat inside the hall.
“This will help the press to carry out their duties while the players will also play without any inhibition.
“The toilets which have continued to be a major source of worry will be put in good shape because of the magnitude of this event.
“Nigeria will be hosting dignitaries from eight countries alongside FIBA Africa high ranking officials,’’ he said.
Ogunade said the locker rooms will also be wearing a new look, while plans had been concluded to clean the seats and to the Indoor Sports Hall attractive.
“We are also going to change the floor and make it look good and in top shape for the competition.
“We need to make a statement with this competition between Oct. 19 to Oct. 29th so that we can host Africa if given the opportunity,’’ he said. (NAN)
KOJE/ERO/PDE
============
(Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Peter Ejiofor)