NAN-S-7
Basketball
By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Lagos, May 13, 2017 (NAN) Ian Carter of Yaounde Giants Basketball Club of Cameroon says his team will beat other opponents following their pounding of Lagos Warriors 104-66 in the ongoing Continental Basketball League in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it was the first match of the Continental Basketball League (CBL) at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Tagged the “May Madness Tournament’’, the competition is to celebrate Lagos State at 50.
Carter, a U.S. citizen, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he was happy with the victory, adding that she looked forward to other challenges as the games progress in the tournament.
“I am happy to be in Nigeria to play in the CBL. Having travelled from my base from Arkansas to play in Cameroon and now in Nigeria, indeed, I am proud to be here.
“Basketball is growing in Africa and to be part of the CBL is a wonderful experience and I am so excited about the whole ambience and attitude.
“ It is like playing in front of my home crowd in Arkansas, in the U.S. Indeed the fans are wonderful and I am enjoying myself,’’ Carter said.
Souleyman Pepouna-Munyutu, the Head Coach of the Yaounde team, told NAN that his players did well because they had worked very hard toward their first game.
He said that there was good coordination and proper understanding among his players and most importantly, the team was ready and there was more spirit of togetherness in the team.
“We played well today and I am proud we are able to deliver the goods.
“We look forward to other games and hope at the end, we are able to challenge every other opposition and hopefully make the final four,’’ Pepouna-Munyutu said.
Michael Scott, a point guard with the Lagos Warriors, told NAN that his team lost because there was no proper team chemistry, noting that they hoped to get better as the game progressed.
“It is our first game and we have to work harder and try to gel properly as a team.
“I want Lagos Warriors’ fans not to write us off as we have so much depth of quality to deliver in other games to come,’’ Scott said.
Scott is also one of five U.S. citizens playing in the Lagos Warriors team.
Ugo Udueze, the organisers of CBL, said that he was happy the league had dunked-off and expressed the hope that the tournament would bring lovers of the games, stakeholders and business investors together to develop basketball.
“This is what we wanted when we started making plans for the CBL. The future is what we think of to be able to develop basketball.
“We are happy to have Lagos State Government backing this project and we believe that the future is very bright as we also seek to develop Lagos State as a sports hub,’’ Udueze said.
NAN reports that the league is made up of six teams comprising the Eko Kings of Lagos, Lagos City Stars and Lagos Warriors.
They are to battle international teams such as Libreville Izobe Dragons from Gabon, Abidjan Raiders from Abidjan and Yaounde Giants from Cameroon.
The teams will embark on a road trip to the capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé, tagged “The Yaoundé Challenge’’ from May 22 to 24. (NAN)
BAO/ACO/PDE
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(Edited by Abiodun Oluleye/Peter Ejiofor)