World Youth Basketball Tournament: Camp opens In January For Selection

As part of efforts to discover worthy ambassadors in the slamming and dunking game for the country members of the Impact Kiddies Sports Project during the week held a press conference to intimate journalists on their plans and programmes for next years world under 12 and under 16 basketball championship billed for Matera Italy 

The briefing was also to appeal to government and corporate bodies to key into this project to help channel the minds of the youth towards positive ventures there by taking them off social vices 

As part of its mission to develop and showcase exceptional young talent, the impact kiddies project is committed to selecting and training outstanding  basketball players from Lagos State to represent Nigeria on the global stage. 

President of the Impact Kiddies Sports Project, Joel Adams said 

the event marks a significant step in the journey to the World Youth Games, providing a platform to share updates, milestones, and future plans with stakeholders.

” This appeal is to prevent what happened last year where only few of the players out of the whole team who got visas from the Italian embassy were supported by their parents to make the trip. We are calling on the government and the corporate world to assist this talented youngster achieve their dream in life and become good ambassadors of the country ” He said 

Founder and Executive Director of African Youth a initiative on crime prevention (AYICRIP), Ambassador Chris Ibe said Sport and physical activity can give people a sense of belonging, loyalty and support, which may mean that suicide, truancy, and illicit drug use is no longer viewed as an option. 

AYICRIP, who are partnering with the project adds that the experiences young people get from involvement in sport could include physical activity, fitness, and skill development.

” We are calling on Nigerians to rally round this project to discover talented basketball players who will win laurels for the country. We have the talents what is lacking is the needed support to take them to the peak of their careers ” He said 

An open camp has been fixed for January 2025 to kick start talent identification process, aimed at selecting top-performing athletes who embody excellence, sportsmanship, and leadership 

Some of the players who have played in tournament in Italy speak on their experience just as they call  for government agencies and private sector to support the initiative and empower young athletes.

Nigeria is expected to represent 5 teams comprising male and female at the world youth basketball championship in June 2025

The Lagos State sports commission, SUBEB and the Nigeria basketball federation have all thrown their weight behind the project