This year’s Louis Edem West Africa Basketball Championship, which ended last weekend in the sports hall of Lagos National Stadium, Surulere, has been hailed for the opportunity it gave participating teams to enjoy regional interactions and cooperation.
Sports247 reports that this commendation was provided by the competition’s organiser and renowned basketball buff, Louis Edem, who also pointed at the youth development foundation that the platform provided for budding talents to be tested by various clubs.
Edem spoke after MFM Women defeated First Bank Elephant Girls 49-41 to win the inaugural all-female championship, before which Victoria Queens of Lagos defeated GRA of Ghana 54-48 in the third-place match of the competition that featured many talented lady players.
While describing the competition as another groundbreaking achievement for the Louis Edem Foundation, the organiser enthused that all the participating teams enjoyed the atmopshere and opportunity to interact, which he noted was a very important motivating factor for the event.
“It’s another great moment for all the teams that came for this year’s championship. One important thing that people forget is that it fosters regional cooperation. You know, it also fosters youth cooperation and all that.
“For example, the team from Ghana, coming to play basketball against all the elite teams in Nigeria, helps them go back and perform in their league,” said Edem, who also commended all the teams for their participation.
Sports247 gathered that the competition first took place in 2023 with only male players in attendance, until it expanded to include women’s teams for the next two editions, but this year marked the first time it featured women only.
