Ejike Ugboaja Foundation two-day annual basketball and American football talents hunt ended in Abuja yesterday, and about fifteen basketball players have been selected to enjoy scholarship from the foundation to study in America and play professional basketball.
The founder of Ejike Ugboaja Foundation, Christopher Ejike Ugboaja disclosed that about 2000 Nigerian youths have been empowered by his foundation since 2007, and most of them have graduated from various universities in the US, and are playing the game too.
He noted that some have batched various degrees including Doctorate, Masters, Bachelor and so on in the USA and are playing basketball at the top of their careers..
On the just concluded talents hunt in Abuja for both basketball and American footbal, the former D’Tiger player and the first and only African to be drafted to the NBA said, a lot of talents were discovered in both games, but insisted that only fifteen players will enjoy the scholarship for 2023 in basketball, while as many as 30 American football players will be giving the opportunity to play their profesional game in US and also study over there.
However, the lead coach of the EUF basketball talents hunt’s camp, Micheal Akubo said, he was happy seeing a lot of Nigerian young men exhibiting their God’s given talents in the game of basketball.
He insisted that with a little exposure the players discovered today (yesterday) will go places.
On his part, Musa Mustapha, one of the selected American football players said, America football is more of a Nigerian game because the qualities required in the game is commonly found in Nigeria, no wonder about three Nigerians are already playing at the NFL, while some are about leaving the country for America to join NFL.
Mustapha said, American football is capable of taking many Nigerian youths from the street and give them a better life in future.
“I want to thank Ejike Ugboaja for providing this rear opportunity to us, especially myself because many of us would have taking to crime to become what we intend to become in life but, with this game we are sure of becoming what we wanted to become in life.’
Meanwhile, he said he is not living any stone unturned for him to move to the NFL where he hope to come back one day to help the less privileges in Nigeria.
In the same vein, one of the basketball players, Anointed Adams appreciated the foundation for providing an opportunity for him and his colleagues to enjoy scholarship to study in the US and play their professional basketball over there.
He therefore, called on other well-meaning Nigerians to take a cue from Ejike Ugboaja and start giving back to the society.
