Over 400 kids are currently participating in a basketball clinic at the ongoing Mark d’ ball basketball competition in Otukpo, Benue. The clinic offered the young ones an opportunity to learn the rudiments of basketball.
The Coordinator of the clinic, Ada Mark-Ogbole, disclosed in Otukpo that “adult-kids” were disallowed to participate in the ongoing event.
“We have the required 400 kids we wanted and the unique thing this year is that we have excluded kids that are between the ages of 16 and 18.
“Last year, when we had them, we had over 550 of participants, so this year, we have pegged the number at 400,” she said.
The coordinator explained that the Mark d ‘ ball competition had incorporated the under-18 teams to pave way for the kids to acquire hands-on experience throughout the duration of the clinic.
“They will play exhibition game at this year’s Mark d’ ball but for next year, they certainly have a slot in the mainstream Mark d’ ball.
“So, I am graduating them from the clinic into mainstream basketball where they will now take responsibility for themselves and play the game.
“Here we teach fundamentals and light skills; that’s the excitement we have in this year’s event and the kids love it so much,” she added.
Mark-Ogbole pointed out that an academy had been established to further develop talents discovered during the competition.
She said that Apa Flames basketball team, an offshoot of the Mark Sports and Scholarship Foundation was established for the training of basketball players.
The coordinator further said that the academy would nurture the budding talents into stardom, noting that most of the kids identified have moved up the basketball ladder.
She pointed out that outstanding kids discovered at the event have since been sent abroad to pursue their career in basketball under the Mark Scholarship Foundation.
The kiddies basketball clinic, which started on December 27, will end on December 28, at the Otukpo Sports Complex. [Benue/NAN]
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