The owner and founder of Air Warriors Basketball Club, Abdulmajeed Solademi, has warned that Nigeria could struggle to sustain its status in African basketball unless greater attention is paid to grassroots development and the creation of a strong pipeline for young players and officials.
Solademi said the emergence of young basketball players and referees through grassroots programmes offered hope for the future of the sport, particularly at a time when Nigeria needed to constantly replenish its national teams.
Speaking with Daily Trust during a grassroots basketball development initiative in Abuja, Solademi said the programme had demonstrated that Nigeria could produce another generation of players capable of representing the country at the highest level.
‘Absolutely incredible! When I saw it, I began to have that feeling that we have a future in basketball,’ he said.
He drew parallels with developments in Nigerian women’s football, expressing concern that the country’s basketball teams could face similar challenges if adequate structures were not established to produce replacements for established stars.
‘I’m beginning to be afraid about our own D’Tigress as well when we don’t have people to really replace them. But with this, it is absolutely correct. It is very good. We have seen something unprecedented being done,’ he said.
He argued that Nigeria’s huge population should translate into a larger presence in African and international basketball.
Solademi also called for a stronger and more competitive domestic league, saying regular competition was critical to improving players’ professionalism and reducing the temptation to seek artificial performance enhancement.