As the 2024 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League sets to dunk off across two centres on Sunday, Air Warriors of Abuja have vowed to dethrone the reigning champions, MFM of Lagos.
Onome Polycarp, the star of the Air Warriors who will be competing in the Savannah Conference of the league at the Lafia City Hall Basketball Court, said the only thing on their mind is to reclaim the title from MFM. “We are heading to Lafia this weekend and dall the thing on our mind as a team is to get our hands back on the title,” Polycarp said.
“We lost it to MFM last year and all we have to do as a team this time around is to give it our all and get the first phase done first before thinking of the second phase.”
The MFM head coach, Ochuko Owolabi, Insists his girls are ready to defend their crown, saying: “We are already in Akure and getting ready for the dunkoff this weekend.
“At the moment, we are having three of our players with the National team (U-18) but the most important thing is to get enough points ahead of the second leg.
“I want to assure you and our fans that we have enough players to do the job in Akure and also move ahead for the second phase later.”
Meanwhile, the record winner of the title, First Bank Women Basketball Team, who has won the league for record 9-time, are also looking forward to winning the title again this year.
An official who spoke on condition of anonymity said they are not ready to banter words with anybody as they are going to be doing all the talking on the court.
In his words, they have been the best and after not winning in the last two editions, they are ready to return to the pinnacle of women basketball in Nigeria.
Teams competing in the Savannah Conference would be fighting for points at the Lafia City Hall Basketball Court while those in the Atlantic Conference would battle Akure, the Ondo State capital, starting from Sunday, September 1 to 7.
