By; BLESSING HARUNA JIKA & PECULIAR JOHN, Kaduna
The eight teams that progressed from Round of 16 phase of the 2022 Mark D Ball Men’s Basketball Championships have all arrived in Abuja, ahead of the eagerly anticipated round, christened Elite Eight, which starts on Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
The eight teams arrived side-by-side technical officials that have been mobilized to ensure the smooth and hitch free tournament, now in its business end.
The eight elite teams will from Wednesday at the Indoor Sports Hall, located in Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium Abuja, showcase intense rivalry, and the best of elite domestic basketball, as never seen in Nigeria, since 2017.
All eyes will be on Nigeria Customs, who are on paper the favourites to overcome Delta Force of Asaba, in Game 1 of Match Day 1.
Victory for the Customs men team, will surely put them on course to emulate their ladies who won the women’s edition.
In other Day-1 games, Gombe Bulls will sweat it out with Kwara Falcons of Ilorin; while the only team with a 100% win record, so far in the competition, Mo Heat will clash with the youngsters of FCT HardRockers, in a mouth watering Abuja derby.
Underdogs, Hot Coal Ballers of Abuja will then have to battle the odds, when taking on giants, Kano Pillars in the last game of match Day 1.
