‘Crown Elite Championships will turn Nigeria into Africa’s basketball hub’

Sport is one of the avenues children from humble backgrounds take in their search for better living. It offers riches and opportunities beyond what only a few other professions can give to poor children. But to be successful in sport, talented youths have several conditions they must fulfill to reap from their natural gifts. Such conditions include being disciplined in and out of the field, careful planning and education, which helps the athlete manage his life, properly.

These are what participants at the ongoing Crown Elite Basketball Championship have been getting from some of the country’s retired and successful former basketball internationals, who, since Monday, have been engaging the youths in mentorship and life changing programmes at the National Stadium, Lagos.

Crown Elite Basketball Championship is a programme that pits the country’s best teams in a competition where they win prizes for their efforts. But beyond the games on the courts of the indoor sports hall of the stadium, the organisers are engaging the youths from schools drawn from across the state in life changing mentorship programme, which they believe will create better citizens out of the youths.

Speaking on the programme’s goals, one of the directors of Crown Elite programme, Louis Edem, said the aim is to help players find life after the game.

Edem, an ex international and I.T. professional based in the United States, said the programme is their way of giving back to a society that provided them opportunity to get up in life.

“We are always passionate to come back to give because it is all about giving back to basketball by mentoring the young ones and helping players find life after the game. We also have the chance to talk to them on what they can