The Wheelchair Basketball Federation Of Nigeria (WBFN) has announced its readiness to host a hitch free championship just as it confirmed a new date for the event scheduled to hold at the Sir Molade Okoya Indoor Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
The championship which is expected to have countries like Cameroon, Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana in attendance was earlier fixed for September but will now hold between 3rd -8th October at the same venue.
Bukola Olopade, President, Wheelchair Basketball Federation of Nigeria who just returned from the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation meeting in Morocco told Tribunesport in Lagos Saturday that the new date was arrived at after the Africa Wheelchair basketball qualifier for U23 world cup earlier scheduled to hold in Durban, South Africa in September has been shifted till 7th-16th December at the same venue. The U23 world cup holds in Canada at a later date.
The WBFN boss who expressed appreciation to the Chairman, Lagos State Sport Commission Deji Tinubu for their support towards the hosting of the championship disclosed that the federation is bringing experts from South Africa to train the coaches and classifiers as a way improving the lots of the games
“I can state categorically that we are ready for the 5th edition of the Sir Victor Ochei Wheelchair International Basketball Championship because all necessary arrangement to host a hitch free championship has been put in place. The medals, trophies are all ready, we are just waiting for the day to come”, he said.
The vice president of the federation in Africa however commended the sponsor, Sir Victor Ochei, former Speaker, Delta State house of Assembly for his continue sponsorship of the games despite not in government describing the feat as a rare one that should be applauded.
“The sponsor should be commended for his continue sponsorship of the championship because it’s rare to see somebody who was no more in government to still spend his money on championship. This shows that he is not doing it to achieve personal gains but to help in the empowerment of the special sport athletes and also to develop the game in the country”, the WBFN boss said.
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