The Kwara Falcons of Ilorin continued their dominance in the Nigerian basketball arena, defeating the Ghana Knights of Accra, 65-58, to win the Louis Edem Men’s Basketball Invitational Championship.
They won the N2 million prize and other consolation prizes, much to the delight of their fans, who packed the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere to watch the game.
The inaugural championship began on February 6 and ended on February 11 with approximately ten clubs competing for honors.
The Black Knights of Accra, the only international team, were awarded N1 million and other consolation prizes.
The Head Coach of Kwara Falcons, Baba Jibril, told the journalists after their victory that hard work and proper team cohesion gave them the win.
“We are happy to lift the trophy and so far won back-to-back Invitational tourneys to the delight of our fans and sponsors.
“We worked hard and prepared well for every tournament we go for, we understand that the expectations on us are high and we hope to match it up at every other game.
Similarly, Ghana’s Head Coach, Selom Thomas, told journalists that the tournament had lived up to the expectations and was proud of his team’s performance despite losing to Falcons.
He praised the organizers and said that events like this would go a long way in developing young budding talents and give them a chance to showcase their qualities.
“I’m impressed with my team, although we lost to Falcons. We gave our best but it was not good enough, but we are proud of our achievement in the competition.
“Competitions like this are welcomed as we have to take them seriously. They help us to develop our players and improve more in their ratings.
The tournament coordinator, Louis Edem, said that he was proud of the whole activities, revealing that he was encouraged by the success and would do more for the sport.
“The tournament was a successful one, it had everything that I hope to see and I am highly encouraged to stage another edition next year.
“However, I intend to give the women a chance to prove themselves as I would be staging the women’s version in a few months,” he said.
Media reports that other teams that participated in the competition included Rivers Hoopers of Port Harcourt, Warlords of Lagos, Lagos Legends, Gidi Giants, and Raptors of Lagos. Comets of Lagos, University of Lagos, and Police Batons of Lagos.
