Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League Begins in Jos, PH

All roads lead to the Indoor Sports Hall of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Rayfield, Jos, Plateau State and the Basketball Facility, Port Harcourt, for the 2023 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League, Savannah and Atlantic Conference respectively.

Six teams will be competing in the Savannah Conference, while eight teams will be battling in the Atlantic Conference.

Nigeria Customs, Plateau Rocks, Air Warriors, Nasarawa Babes, Nigeria Army and Kada Angels, are the teams competing in the Savannah Conference Phase one starting from Monday, August 21to 27.

In the Atlantic Conference, MFM Basketball Club, First Bank, Sunshine Angels, IGP Queens, Delta Force, Dolphins, Bayelsa Blue Whales and First Deep Waters are the teams fighting for a right to make it to the final in Lagos later in the year.

Air Warriors defeated MFM of Lagos in the last edition of the competition that took place in 2019 with COVID-19 and other unforeseen circumstances stopping the competition from taking place in the last three years.

Also, there was a change in the venue of the competition as the Nigeria Basketball Federation moved the Atlantic Conference from the initial venue, Akure, Ondo State Sports Complex, to Port Harcourt.

The federation said the venue was changed because the venue needed to be renovated before being put to use.

The NBBF in a letter made available to our correspondent said the conference will now taking place in Port Harcourt will tip off on August 21and will end on August 28 

The second phase of the conference league will take place at the Lafia City Hall, Lafia, Nasarawa State and the Indoor Sports Hall of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba Delta State from September 18to 24 for the Savannah Conference and Atlantic Conference respectively.

Only four teams will qualify for the National Finals which will see two teams from both conferences converging at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, from October 17to 21 to determine the 2023 champions