The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa, has announced plans to establish a South East Regional Basketball Championship aimed at identifying and nurturing grassroots sports talent across the zone.
Gen. Musa disclosed this in Umuahia following a visit to the Umuahia Township Stadium, which marked the conclusion of his three-day official working visit to Abia State.
During the visit, the Minister interacted with young participants at a multi-age basketball camp organized by the Crossover Foundation, a youth initiative led by Nigerian diaspora basketball figures, the Achiuwa brothers.
Commending the foundation and the Abia State Government for collaborating to expand local sports infrastructure, Gen. Musa announced an immediate donation of ₦2,000,000 to support the camp’s operations. He assured the young athletes that the proposed regional tournament would bring together emerging talent from all five South Eastern states.
The Minister urged parents to encourage their children to participate in organized sports, noting that athletics foster character, leadership, and national unity. He added that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would soon launch targeted sports recruitment drives to provide promising young athletes with career pathways in the military.
To mark the visit, NBA player Precious Achiuwa presented a signed basketball to the Minister on behalf of the organizers.
