Zenith Bank boosts Women Basketball League with N24.6m
Basketball faithfuls would be treated to the finest moments in female basketball as league sponsors, Zenith Bank Nigeria Plc on Wednesday said that N24.6million has been provided to sponsor this year’s edition.
The announcement was disclosed during a media parley in Lagos with members of the Zenith Bank representative and the Nigeria Basketball Federation to usher in the 2018 season.
Peter Amangbo, Group Managing Director who was represented by Akin Ogunranti, the company’s Deputy General Manager made the disclosure that the company was proud to support the league for the last 14 years.
He said that the company was happy to announce to the public the company’s plans to yet again throw their weight on the national women’s league set to dunk off Oct. 28.
“Over the past 13 years Zenith Bank Nig. Plc has sponsored NBBF/Zenith Bank Women’s National League as part of our contributions to the society and youth development.
“This is our core corporate social responsibility which also has come a long way with partnership with the NBBF since 2005, beginning with just four teams and now has grown to 19 teams.
“We are indeed delighted that our intervention which has continued to yield tremendous result in the areas of women youth development.
“This sponsorship has raised the profile of women basketball in Nigeria and contributed in no small measure to the discovery of many talents many of whom play in the league,’’Amangbo said.
He added that the bank was also very happy to host the historic senior national women’s team, D’Tigress that won the 2017 FIBA Afrobasket which held in Bamako, Mali.
He also said that Zenith Bank also contributed financial support for the D’Tigress team that competed in the just concluded FIBA World Cup in Tenerife Spain.
Meanwhile, the Vice President, NBBF, Babs Ogunade, said that Zenith Bank for the last 14 years had continued to show great support for development of basketball in Nigeria.
He acknowledge the bank’s support for the 2017 Afrobasket winning team and also their financial support for the world cup team while in Atlanta camp.
“Our kudos goes to the Bank for doing all what they have been doing over the years, we appreciate them for what they have done.
“They have continued to support female basketball in Nigeria for the last 14 years and look forward to many more years of partnership,’’Ogunade said.
Ogunade said that the competition would have 19 teams competing for honours, where the games would be played simultaneously in two conference, the Atlanta conference and the Savannah conference.
According to him, 10 teams would compete in Enugu that has teams from the South East, South South and South West while nine other teams would compete in Abuja, the Northern conference.
The competition would run from Oct. 28 till Nov. 2 where three teams from each conference would qualify to play in the national finals to hold in Lagos from Nov. 3 to Nov. 7.
Winners and first runners up will represent Nigeria at the FIBA zone 3 Women’s Champions qualifiers from Nov. 12 to Nov. 15 in Cotonou, Benin Republic (NAN)