Sports

Former Premier League stars host basketball camp in Lagos

A former Nigerian basketball star, Oladipupo Oshunnubi, and his former teammate, Adeola Alade, hosted 60 children in a one-day basketball camp. The camp was held at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Center popularly called Rowe Park, Yaba, on Saturday.
The Park was where both Oshunnubi and Alade started their basketball careers. Both men later played for Comets, Dodan Warriors, and Union Bank.
The duo co-founded Pride, a non-profit in the United States of America with the hope of catering and providing resources including equipment, grants, and scholarships to budding basketball talents in Nigeria.
This, they believe, is their way of giving back to the sport that took them off the street and gave them an opportunity to get an education through a sports scholarship and to travel to the United States where they both reside.
“Basketball saved my life; I would have become a tout roaming the streets of Lagos,” Oshunnubi said. “The irony is I never liked practice. In fact, I missed practice but always showed up for pick-up scrimmages every evening no matter where I was.”
“I know that does not make sense but it was enough to get me off the street,” Oshunnubi told the campers.
Co-founder Adeola Alade believes coming back home to help out was a no-brainer after being away for so long and seeing that the kids in the basketball community need help.
“We came down here because we want the kids to know sports can give them life. Basketball gave us life.”
“We are trying to touch at least 100 lives, which increases the odds of one or two becoming successful at least. This is certainly not going to be a one-off.”
Camp coordinator and Lagos State basketball coach, Lai Alimi, gave kudos to Oshunnubi and Alade for their selflessness and commitment to developing basketball in the state.
“These guys flew in from the United States to support basketball with sports equipment, for the kids and the local coaches. Yes, the gentlemen grew up here in the neighbourhood but the campers cut across the state not just Rowe Park. It spreads across Ilupeju, Dodan Barracks, and Ajegunle as well.
“Asides from the skill and capacity development, we will be giving away balls to the kids and other equipment.
The camp was concluded with a six-a-side mixed tournament with a N300,000 bounty. Happiness Gladji, 16, helped her team to the championship win and the N150,000 winners’ prize, and an exhibition match between former league players.

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