Zenith Bank Basketball League: Air Warriors defeat Nigerian Army

Air Warriors, the defending Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League champions, got their Savannah Conference Phase 2 campaign off to a strong start by defeating the Nigeria Army 61-39 to keep their lead.

Recall that the Air Force women finished the first phase in Jos without suffering a defeat.

Despite starting later than expected, the game at Lafia Hall on Shendam Road lived up to expectations because the audience had so much to enjoy from the opening game of the second phase.

Nkem Oyoko and Onome Polycarp, the Air Warriors’ dynamic combo, controlled the game’s tempo and prevented the Nigerian Army from pulling off an unexpected victory.

Adamu Deshi, the Zonal Representative, of North Central, commended Zenith Bank, the sponsor, for bringing out female athletes from the region to compete in sports.

“Basketball has come to stay, and hosting this Savannah Conference in a place like Lafia will open the eyes of parents to the fact that women can take sports as a profession.

“You can see other youths, especially the girl child, coming out to watch, and they can take the gospel back home that they can achieve something through sport.”

Barrister Isaac Danladi, the Permanent Secretary in the Nasarawa State Ministry of Youths and Sports, welcomed the teams and urged them to give it their all.

In a similar spirit, he admonished the state team, the Nasarawa Amazons, to strive for victory in order to defend the government’s support.

He gave the assurance that the state government had completed the essential preparations for the Savannah Conference’s second phase without a hitch.

Danladi, who is also the chairman of Nasarawa United Football Club, assured the participating teams of the hospitality of the people of Nasarawa State.

The final match of the day will be a clash of heavyweights as Air Warriors seek to maintain their unbeaten run against arch-rivals Nigerian Customs.