Niger Potters Clinch National Division One Basketball Title with Narrow Victory.
The Niger Potters Basketball Club from Niger State has secured the championship at the recently concluded National Division One Basketball tournament.
In a closely contested final, the team defeated Gombawa Foundation of Kaduna with a score of 59-58, earning promotion to the National Premier Basketball League. The Potters achieved this feat by winning four consecutive games to take the lead in the league standings.
The event took place at the 1-2-3 Quarters indoor sports hall in Minna, the capital of Niger State, featuring five teams: Taraba State, FCT, 313 Warriors, Kaduna State, and Niger State.
Danjuma Abdul Masu, Chairman of the Niger State Sports Commission (NSSC), expressed satisfaction with the high standard and performance of the teams, noting the competitive nature of the tournament.
He emphasized the importance of rebuilding the promoted teams with experienced players to foster talent development at the grassroots level.
Niger Potters’ Head Coach, Aminu Dada, described the final as highly challenging and praised the team’s resilience. He also highlighted the need to recruit additional players to enhance future performance.
Gombawa Foundation’s coach, Samson John, affirmed his team’s physical and mental preparedness, despite facing internal challenges at the start of the competition.
Jepre Emmanuel, Assistant Secretary of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), commended the efforts of the Niger State government and NSSC in organizing the tournament and urged other states to follow suit to promote sports development nationwide.
The championship concluded with awards presented to outstanding teams, players, and organizers, aiming to motivate further excellence in basketball.
