The win ensured Hope Basketball Academy’s qualification to the semi finals of the 8 team basketball tournament.
In the opening game of the competition played on the same day and venue, Serrkunda West Basketball team defeated Manjai Basketball team by 72 points to 44 points.
Omar Barrow, head coach of Hope Basketball Academy, said he was proud of his players for putting up a respectable performance and carrying the day against a more experienced side.
He described their opponent as the most experienced side and as such they respected them and sticked to their game plan.
He noted that they would take each game as it comes but win the competition if the opportunity presents itself. “We are an academy and following the process of grooming young players,” he said.
“We will take our next game seriously because we will face a household name in basketball in the country. They have more experience players than us and we will respect them as we did with our opponents today,” said coach Barrow.
Adama Barrow, head coach of Kotu Blue Niggers Basketball team, said most of his players were not training prior to the tournament and were fatique towards the end of the game, adding that their missed match and formation also contributed to their loss.
He described the cash price for the eventual winner of the tournament as something huge for basketball and therefore encouraged Africell to be organising more of such tournaments.
He called on teams especially coaches to continue working and improving themselves as the game keeps advancing. He also called on other stakeholders to invest in basketball, saying there are a lot of talented basketball players in the country. “Now is the time to invest in basketball. If we do now we will have progessional basketball players playing in foreign professional basketball leagues,” he stated.
He also highlighted the need for the country to have an in door basketball court, saying it has contributed to the country’s lack of participation in the Olympic Games and Africa Basketball League. “The Federation does not have the financial mussle to be hosting international matches out side the country,” he observed.
Meanwhile, the winner of the knockout tournament is expected to receive D50,000.
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