Ugo Udezue, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) South-East representative, is set to stage a three-day regional basketball tournament in Ebonyi State, running from June 5 to June 7. The showcase will be anchored by the official commissioning of the newly constructed Hon. Richard Idike Basketball Court in Abakaliki, with the event designed to bring together teams and key figures from across the South-East.
Matches are scheduled to take place at the Ebonyi Shopping Mall, where sides from the five South-East states—Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Anambra, and Abia—will compete. The tournament is also expected to serve as a meeting point for those involved in the game, from coaching staff and club officials to scouts and supporters.
Udezue, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of AFA Sports, said the initiative is focused on strengthening grassroots development and opening broader career routes for young people in a part of the country where football has long dominated sporting attention. In his view, the region’s basketball growth depends not only on hosting events, but on creating lasting infrastructure that can support consistent training and competition.
He noted that while Ebonyi State previously lacked a suitable basketball court, it has still managed to produce high-level players. Udezue pointed out that half of the players on the Coal City Blazers—the South-East’s only Premier League club—come from the state, underlining the potential that exists when adequate facilities are made available.
Emphasising the need for broader involvement beyond government, Udezue called on private stakeholders to do more to back sports development. “We cannot keep putting the burden on the government. As stakeholders, we must commit to sports infrastructure. We have previously donated uprights for the indoor stadium in Enugu, and now we have built a court in Abakaliki,” he said, framing the court as part of a wider effort to build capacity for the sport.
The new basketball venue is named after Hon. Richard Idike, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, who played a key role in enabling the project. Idike is expected to attend the tournament as the Special Guest of Honour to formally inaugurate the court.
With the three-day programme set to conclude on June 7, organizers anticipate strong regional turnout, including representatives from coaching circles, basketball administration, scouting networks, and fans, all converging to watch the action and to discuss additional infrastructure development across the South-East.
