By Isaac Afolabi
Ondo state representative in the three days 3×3 basketball challenge Ondo kings have emerged as overall winners of the REP YOUR CITY Basketball Challenge.
The basketball challenge took place at the indoor sports hall of the Akure sports complex.
The fun filled event witnessed other side attractions such as legend games, dunk and slam, award presentation and miming with twelve teams, two each from each state, fourty eight players from six states comprising Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun and host Ondo state.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, the organiser of the event Adedamola Iyiola Adebowale popularly called “DAMOLA CRUZ ” said one of the aims of putting up the challenge is to give back to the game that paved way for him to limelight.
Adebowale an Akure born former basketball players, award winning model, business man and the organiser Ikeja city mall fashion and music show recount his experience while learning the game in Akure under former national basketball coach, Andrew Isokpei and included that he was interested in the growth of other young players in the game of basketball.
While describing basketball as a game of discipline, character and mental ability, Adebowale said the challenge would henceforth be a yearly event with both male and female category.
Speaking further on the theme of the three days event REP YOUR CITY, Adebowale charged young athlete to aspire to the top despite the challenges saying they can achieve anything with discipline, focus and determination.
First Position went to Ondo Raider,second position went to Showtime Ibadan Oyo state while the third position went to Hoop Dreams Ibadan Oyo state.
Dozie Eze of Hoop Dreams Ibadan won the MVP award, Kelvin Emefiele of Ondo Raiders won the dunk contest award while Ogunbukola Timothy from Showtime basketball team Ibadan won the shooting contest.
Overall winners (Ondo Raiders) went home with the sum of two hundred thousand naira, second position show time of Ibadan went home with One hundred thousand naira,and third place Hoop dreams of Ibadan went home with fifty thousand naira with other consolation prizes for the most valuable player, slam and dunk challenge winner, shooting among others.
Also, some notable individuals were appreciated and award given in their names for their contributions to the growth of humanity, support for the event, being a role model and source of inspiration to young Nigerians.
Some of them are the president of the Nigeria basketball federation Musa Kida, former national basketball coach Mr Andrew Isokpei, Prince Sani Momoh and a Barrister Eyitayon Jegede SAN.