Basketball, a tool for greatness -Udoh

The proprietor of HotCoal Sizzlers Basketball Club of Abuja, Ubon Udoh, has explained his quest and hunger geared towards the all-round development of young persons using basketball as a tool.

Udoh stated this while addressing the media at the sidelines of the ongoing Mark D Ball Women’s Tournament, holding in Abuja.

Udoh’s young team on Tuesday, fell just short of qualifying for the quarter finals phase of the competition. The Hot Coal Sizzlers got eliminated after injuries to two key players in double overtime saw them lose their clash with MFM of Lagos by 44-36.

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Udoh said the positives imbibed from playing the game of basketball has been key in making him successful in life, noting that his passion was to give back and transfer the qualities learnt from the slam and dunk game to the younger generation.

“I am a beneficiary of the positive things basketball can do for a person. You can learn the tools to be successful in life by playing basketball. Determination, hard work, focus, discipline, standing out and being assertive are the key. These are things you need to become a good basketball player and once you’re a good player, you can become a good and successful person in life and be better positioned to add value to society.”

He added that the virtues are things he benefited while playing basketball and to repay the gesture, he has resolved to do his best in transferring these qualities to kids and youngsters using basketball as the platform.

He, however, thanked the Initiator of Mark D Ball, Igoche Mark for giving his team the opportunity to rub shoulders with basketball big girls in Nigeria.

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It was the very first time his young team participated in a tournament of that magnitude, where the organisers paid every player and official of the 16 competing teams their appearance fees and daily allowances paid directly into their individual bank accounts.

Hot Coal had always been a dominant side in the local circuits like City Leagues and other smaller competition but Udoh said a lot of positives will be taken from their first competition against premier league oppositions.