Coaches Back Gift Uchenna’s Grassroots Basketball Drive, Demand More Investment

Nigerian basketball coaches have commended rising star Gift Uchenna for her efforts to promote grassroots basketball and create opportunities for young boys and girls to discover and develop their talents.

Uchenna was praised during a basketball skills and talent-discovery programme organised in collaboration with Nigerian basketball coaches in Abuja.

The Ebonyi-born forward, who stands at 6ft 3in, has progressed from grassroots basketball in Nigeria to the NCAA Division I level in the United States, where she currently plays for the University of Wisconsin-Madison women’s basketball team, the Wisconsin Badgers.

Basketball coach Lawal M. Daddy described Uchenna as a rising star whose career underscored the importance of commitment, dedication and sustained talent development.

He said her combination of size, skill and adaptability had positioned her as a promising figure in the development of women’s basketball in Nigeria and beyond.

Daddy urged young Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities in sports and other productive ventures rather than engaging in activities that could jeopardise their future.

He also stressed the critical role grassroots coaches play in identifying and nurturing young talents despite limited support.

He said the Federal Capital Territory would continue to strengthen its grassroots talent-discovery programmes, including competitions at area-council level, to identify promising athletes and provide pathways for their development.

Also speaking, Acting Director of Sports in the FCT, Iyiola Okundele, said the administration was committed to bringing young people together, identifying sporting talents and creating opportunities for them to fulfil their potential.

Okundele said the FCT had abundant talent across various sporting disciplines, stressing that attention should not be focused solely on football.

He called for greater investment in basketball, volleyball and other sports, while advocating early talent identification across the six area councils.

He disclosed that the FCT was upgrading existing sports infrastructure and developing a new sports centre in Katampe District towards Life Camp.

Facilities in Area 3 are also being upgraded to provide better platforms for young athletes.

On the FCT’s performance at the National Sports Festival, Okundele acknowledged the territory’s challenges but said preparations were already underway for the 23rd edition of the festival scheduled for November.

He said the FCT was determined to improve on its previous performance through better preparation and sustained investment in talent development.

However, Founder and Coach of Village Bossas Basketball, Umar Kona, expressed concern over what he described as inadequate government investment in grassroots basketball.

Kona, who has spent about 22 years coaching, said many grassroots coaches were developing young players largely through personal passion and commitment rather than structured government support.

He warned that inadequate investment was contributing to the migration of talented Nigerian athletes to countries where sporting facilities, welfare and professional opportunities were more readily available.

According to him, Nigeria has produced several talented basketball players who now represent other countries because of the opportunities available to them abroad.

Kona also cautioned against making height the sole criterion for identifying basketball talent.

While acknowledging that height could provide an advantage, particularly for players seeking international opportunities, he stressed that skills, discipline, intelligence and other qualities were equally important.

He said basketball had helped some young people secure university admissions, employment and opportunities abroad, while also providing a positive pathway away from negative influences.

Kona urged the government to involve experienced sports practitioners in policy formulation rather than relying solely on bureaucrats and politicians.

“I will always tell them to do what they are meant to do. If they don’t do it, we always have a chance to vote them out,” he said.

He called for stronger collaboration between government and sports stakeholders, arguing that practitioners were better placed to identify challenges and offer practical solutions.

“If the government wants to make sport better, work with people in that industry,” he said.

Kona warned that poor sporting infrastructure and inadequate athlete welfare could continue to push promising Nigerian talents towards other countries.

He maintained that greater investment in grassroots sports would not only improve Nigeria’s performance at international competitions but also create sustainable career opportunities for young people.