By Joel Ajayi
Sports Secretary of Nigeria Customs Service, Samuel Onikeku, has praised the Nigeria Customs Service Women’s Basketball Team for their resilience and outstanding performance in the ongoing Zenith Basketball League Phase 2 in Abuja. The team secured a dominant 81-48 victory against the Air Warriors on Tuesday.
Onikeku expressed that the team’s primary goal is to qualify for the 2024 Zone 3 Africa Women Basketball League ,AWBL, and surpass their previous performance. It should be recalled that the Customs team finished 5th in the 2023 edition of the tournament, which was held in Egypt.
Speaking after the game, Onikeku said, “The team has been performing well. We excelled in Nasarawa, where the first phase took place, winning all our games. We had an off day on Monday and lost to Titian, but the girls bounced back today with a tremendous performance. I reminded them before the tournament that every preparation is geared toward playing in Zone 3 AWBL and improving on our 5th-place finish from last year.”
Onikeku emphasized that these games serve as preparation for the final phase in Lagos and ultimately for qualification. “The ultimate goal is to be among the two teams that will represent Nigeria in Zone 3 AWBL”, he added.
Onikeku, who also serves as the Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria ,AFN, acknowledged the immense support of the Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, for the development of sports within the Customs organization.
He said, “The CG’s support has been tremendous, not only for basketball but for all sports that the Customs participate in. Playing for Customs means you will always be highly motivated. The more the players compete, the better they become”.
Onikeku concluded by stressing that motivation is not an issue for the team. “Motivation has never been one of our challenges. What I want the team to understand is that to whom much is given, much is expected”, he remarked.
