EVERY KID WALKS AWAY A WINNER AS ABA LEAGUE CLOSES ITS PILOT CHAPTER

By Eyere Ekuta

Two weeks ago, many of the young players who took part in the Amateur Basketball Academies (ABA) League were strangers. By the final weekend, they had become teammates, opponents, friends and, in many cases, part of a basketball community that had grown around the tournament.

Parents filled the sidelines, coaches pushed their players through each game, and the children returned to the court day after day, gaining experience with every match. 

What began as a pilot tournament had, by the closing weekend, become a significant basketball experience for many of the young athletes involved.

The timing of the closing weekend also gave the tournament a wider meaning. 

Just days earlier, Nigeria’s senior women’s team, the D’Tigress, had been eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin. The result brought renewed discussion about the future of Nigerian basketball and the need to build stronger structures from the grassroots.

In that sense, the ABA League’s pilot season offered a practical example of what grassroots development can look like: giving young players regular competition, creating opportunities for coaches and officials, and allowing children to experience organised basketball.

Speaking at the finals, the President and Founder of the Amateur Basketball Academies League, DC Abubakar Lucky Aliyu reminded participants that the tournament was not only about who finished first.

“The winners will converge for us. And you are winners. We don't have a winner here,” he told the coaches, parents, officials and athletes. “This is a testimonial game.”

That message reflected the idea behind the pilot competition, to give young players in the FCT access to structured and competitive basketball, while allowing them to learn through the experience.

There was still plenty to celebrate on the scoreboard.

In the boys’ final, TNT Panthers defeated Suleja Bulldogs 30–16 to win the title. The result was significant because the same teams had met on the opening day, when Suleja Bulldogs came out on top.

In the girls’ final, One Ball edged TNT Beauties 24–21 to claim the championship. 

In the third-place matches, Full Force defeated Eco Titans 48–33 in the boys’ category, while Queens Court beat Dominion 24–14 to take 3rd place in the girls’ competition.

For TNT Panthers captain Isaac Chahul, the boys’ final was an opportunity to respond to their opening-day defeat.

“When we lost in the opening game, everybody was demoralised, Chahul recalled.

He said he and his teammates remained confident that they would get another chance.

“We assured everybody, with our coaches, that if we eventually played them again, we were going to beat them by a higher margin. And that's what we did.”

The two teams now sit 1–1 in their season meetings, with both also represented among the players heading into the All-Star showcase.

For Chahul, the next target is simple.

“We just want to represent ourselves, play the best game we've played, and hope we get to make ourselves proud, and our family proud.”

On the girls’ side, One Ball’s championship came after a difficult final against TNT Beauties.

Team captain Eyong Keyu Precious, 16, has only been playing basketball since 2024. She led a One Ball team that had just six players available, five starters and one player on the bench.

Precious was initially noticed because of her height, but she quickly realised that getting onto the court was only the beginning.

“I had to work harder to blend in,” she said of her early days in basketball.

That work was tested in the final. One Ball controlled the third quarter before TNT Beauties captain Oluchi hit a three-pointer to bring her team back into the contest.

With a short bench and tired legs, One Ball had to find a way to stay composed in the fourth quarter. Precious said the support from the bench, coaches and spectators helped them through.

“We've been training morning and evening. Our coach told us anything can happen within five seconds, the game has not ended till we get the final whistle. That's what kept us going.”

One Ball held on to win 24–21.

The finals also received the support of His Royal Highness, Igwe Ifeanyi Eke, Chairman of the FCT Basketball Association and Guest of Honour.

“It is a wonderful time we have had, and I'm so proud of this,” he said. “I love this game so much.”

Igwe Eke also pointed to the wider value of the academy system, noting that some of the referees involved in the competition had themselves come through similar development structures.

“Seeing our prodigies coming up, no one can believe that most of these referees you're seeing today were groomed by this same academy structure, and they are doing wonderfully well.”

For him, the tournament had also created a sense of community.

“During this small time we have spent together, we have become one family. A lot of talent has been scouted, a lot has been discovered, and a lot more will still rise for future engagements.”

He added: “But one thing is for sure, the talent that has been scouted and discovered here is going to go places.”

The competition may have reached the end of its pilot chapter, but the ABA League is not quite finished for 2026.

The selected All-Stars from the 24 participating academies are expected to come together on Sunday, September 20, at Mo Arena, for an All-Star showcase that will also serve as the league’s official closing ceremony.

The pilot season has produced winners, but perhaps its biggest result is the number of young players who now have more confidence, more game experience and a clearer understanding of what competitive basketball demands.

For eight days, the courts gave them a place to play, compete and learn. For some, it may be the beginning of something much bigger.