Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Female Basketball Team and ASPAC Female Basketball Team of Benin Republic have qualified and will join eight other teams for the 2023 Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) slated for Alexandria, Egypt from 11th to 18th December 2023.
The teams are the host, Sporting of Alexandria; CNSS Basketball Club (DR Congo); Equity Bank (Kenya), five-time champions, Inter Clubs (Angola)and KPA (Kenya). Others are Overdose Up Station (Cameroon), REG (Rwanda Energy Group) and the University of Douala (Cameroon).
To qualify for the AWBL, Customs rolled over MFM and ASPAC with 55-49 and 65-48 points respectively while ASPAC recorded a 53-48 points win against MFM. The Shade Olukoya Girls, as MFM are called, lost their two games, 48-53 to ASPAC and 49-55 to Customs. Thus, the Border Girls (Customs) topped the table with 6 points after winning two games, ASPAC played two games won one and lost one to secure 3 points while MFM lost the two games with no points.
During the deciding, thrilling and the final game played at the Mo Arena on Tuesday night, Customs trailed in the three quarters but won the overall points to emerge as FIBA Africa Zone 3 champions. First Quarter Customs 13-19 MFM, second quarter Customs 29-30 MFM, third quarter Customs 37-39 MFM and the fourth quarter Customs 55-49 MFM.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) in charge of Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, Abba Kura, said the NCS has always encouraged its officers to participate in sports with the promise to support the ladies as they vie for honours in Egypt.
“The assurance I will give them is that they’ve done well. The Service is going to encourage them to do more for the Service and for the country. I pray for them to succeed, and to come back with the trophy to Nigeria.
“It has been the tradition of the Service to encourage officers to participate actively in sports and apart from that, our volleyball and basketball teams have always been encouraged to succeed in any tournaments they participate in,” Abba Kura told Tribune Sports.
At the end of the hostilities, Nkem Akaraiwe of Customs got the Best Rebounder, Leader in Blocks and Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, Wandoo Hembam of MFM emerged Highest Scorer and Leader in 3 points shots went to Customs’ Taiwo Olaluwatomi. The tournament’s best 5 are Onaibe Jessica (ASPAC), Regina Donanu (MFM), Nkem Akaraiwe (Customs), Diarra Coumba (ASPAC) and Taiwo Olaluwatomi (Customs).
Tribune Sports reports that Customs are returning to the continent for the first time in 23 years.
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