As Lagos State Basketball Association's two-day Classics ended on Friday, coaches and players asked for more clinics and competitions.
The spokesman for the association, Segun Ikuesan, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the competition was meant to hunt for talents and groom them.
He said the two-day competition, which was introduced recently by the state would be a quarterly event for schools and clubs.
"This initiative by the state government will be a continuous programme to scout for youngsters who have passion for sports," Ikuesan said.
The head coach of Eko Fliers Basketball Club, Lagos Island, Olayinka Oyewumi, said the competition was a good ground for grooming young players for the 18th National Sports Festival to be hosted by the state.
Oyewumi said the competition had shown that Lagos had many young talented basketball players who had yet to be dicovered.
"For excellent performance at the sports festival which is at hand, this is an opportunity to select players to represent Lagos State," he said.
Oyewumi, who commended the state government for contributing meaningfully to sports development, called for more competitions and encouragement for the players.
The coach of Freedom Rains Basketball Club, Surulere, Lagos, Tochukwu Nsofor, lauded the state government for sponsoring competitions, which enable players who had been training for long to show their talents.
"This competition is very good and the management board should continue in this spirit to help our youths.
"If this kind of competition is held regularly, it will help to reduce crime in the society," he said.
Nsofor, who noted that players were eager to play, said they were expecting more competitions.
"We have lots of talents that can represent us at the national level from programmes like this; we need such programmes to develop sports at the grass roots," he said.
One of his players, Nkiru Unaigwe, said she hoped to participate in future competitions to develop herself.
"I hope that one day I will play for the national team if this kind of competition continues.
"I have the determination to work hard and give my best if I continue to get this kind of opportunity," she said.
Also speaking, the Captain of the Eko Fliers team, Abiodun Yusuf, said he was determined to give his best to the sport.
Yusuf, a second year Civil Engineering student of the University of Lagos, appealed to the state government and corporate bodies to sponsor more tournaments as a way of engaging youths meaningfully.
"I am amazed by the encouragement given by the Lagos State government to sports, I want them to give us more competitions," he said.
The Punch