Women’s Basketball League Return Thrills Zenith Bank, NBBF

The Nigeria Women’s Basketball League staged a remarkable comeback, August 21, 2023, after over three years in limbo and both the sponsors, Zenith Bank and organisers, Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) have expressed delight over the development.

Customs were the superior side from the Savannah Zone 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 the second face for pride.

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.”

Recall that COVID-19 situation prevented the event from holding in 2020 and 2021 while some administrative issues in the basketball family affected the completion in 2022.

The Atlantic Conference of the league is more competitive even as  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 centres,” Kida said.

The Second Phase of the Women’s league starts on September 18 in Asaba and Lafia.