Umar applauds Pillars as they retain Kwese League title - Sep 15, 2017
Kano Pillars at the weekend successful defended their Nigerian basketball premier league title, when they defeated Gombe Bulls in the final 8 of the Kwese Premier League concluded at the Kofar Mata in Kano. Pillars defeated Bulls by 20 points 74-54 to confirm superiority in the Nigerian league. They took home the N20 million champions' grand prize. The factional president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Tijjani Umar, was full of praises for the Nigerian champions, which he described as very consistent in the past years. "Pillars gave their best in the Kwese Premier League throughout the season, so retaining the league title was not a big surprise. We don't have any doubt in our mind that Pillars would represent Nigeria well at the next edition of the FIBA Africa Club Championship, together with the runner's up, Gombe Bulls." For finishing second place, Gombe Bulls got N15 million, While Hoops and Read of Lagos that defeated Kwara Falcons 61-52 in the loser's final took home N10 million. Kano Pillars' Celestine Nwafor Peter, was voted the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 Kwese Premier League. He was also voted the league's Highest Scorer. Pillars' Abubakar Usman (191-G-86) was voted the Best Scorer, Gombe Bulls' Timothy Kapon got the Best Offensive Player award, while Hoops and Read's Mustapha Oyebanji was voted as the Best Shooter. The Kwese Premier League Best Five were David Godwin (195-SG) of Kwara Falcons, Dele Ademola (199-F-89) of Pillars, Mustapha Oyebanji of Hoops and Read, Abubakar Usman Nda and Celestine Nwafor Peter. Some of the top sports personalities that presented prizes and individual awards to winners at the grand finale of the Final 8 include: Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, former chairman of the Nigeria Football Association and chairman Kano State Sports Commission, Engr. Sani Ndanusa, former President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Senator U.K Umar, former President of the NBBF, Alhaji Aliyu Bappa, Treasurer of the NOC, Alhaji Abba Yola, former Director, National Sports Commission and Prince Ado Bayero. Courtesy of: Ikuesan Olusegun
Nigerian Premier League All-Star Game 2017 - Jun 23, 2017
