Defence Minister announces South-East basketball tournament, donates N2m to Abia camp

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Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd)

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By Kingsley Omonobi

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The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), has announced plans to establish a South-East Regional Basketball Championship aimed at discovering and nurturing grassroots sporting talents across the region.

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Gen. Musa made the announcement in Umuahia during his visit to the Umuahia Township Stadium at the end of his three-day official working visit to Abia State.

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In a statement on Saturday, his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, said the minister interacted with young participants at an inaugural multi-age basketball camp organised by the Crossover Foundation, an initiative driven by Nigerians in the diaspora and basketball icons, the Achiuwa brothers.

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Commending the foundation and the Abia State Government for their collaboration in expanding youth sports development, the Defence Minister, who is also a basketball enthusiast, announced an immediate donation of N2 million to support the camp’s activities.

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He said the planned regional championship would provide a platform to unite and showcase emerging basketball talents from the five South-East states.

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Gen. Musa urged parents to encourage their children to participate in organised sports, noting that athletics plays an important role in character development, leadership training and national cohesion.

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He also disclosed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would soon commence targeted sports recruitment programmes to provide promising young athletes with opportunities to build careers within the military.

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In recognition of his support for youth sports development, the minister was presented with a signed basketball by NBA player Precious Achiuwa on behalf of the organisers.

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