Defence minister unveils South-East basketball championship, donates ₦2m to Abia camp
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), has announced plans to establish a South-East Regional Basketball Championship to discover and develop young basketball talents across the region.
Musa made the announcement in Umuahia on Saturday after visiting the Umuahia Township Stadium at the end of his three-day official working visit to Abia State.
The minister interacted with participants at the inaugural multi-age basketball camp organised by the Crossover Foundation and sponsored by Nigerian diaspora basketball players, Godsgift Achiuwa and Precious Achiuwa.
Commending the organisers and the Abia State Government for collaborating to expand opportunities for youth development through sports, Musa announced an immediate donation of ₦2 million to support the basketball camp.
He said the proposed regional championship would bring together emerging basketball talents from the five South-East states and provide a platform for grassroots players to showcase their abilities.
The minister urged parents to encourage their children to participate in organised sports, noting that athletics help to build discipline, leadership qualities and national unity.
Musa also disclosed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would soon introduce targeted sports recruitment programmes to create opportunities for talented young athletes to pursue careers in the military.
In appreciation of his support, the organisers presented the defence minister with a signed basketball at the end of the visit.
