The Nigeria Customs Service Men’s Basketball Club of Abuja on Wednesday said its target is to win in the top four stage of the Savannah Conference basketball championship.

The Sports Secretary General of the club, Samuel Onikeku, stated this in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Onikeku expressed satisfaction with the club`s performance at the just concluded Nigerian Basketball Federation Premier Basketball Men’s final eight Championships Savannah Conference second phase finals in Abuja.

The Nigeria Customs defeated Gboko City Chiefs 83-75 to emerge Savannah Conference second phase finals Champions.

“I am satisfied with the impressive performance displayed by the players, bearing the circumstances that we were unable to prepare the way we ought to have for the competition. We believe that the players have done tremendously well. They have won every match and no match played that they didn’t give a margin of 10 points difference,” he said.

“We are ready, we just hope that the players will be able to sustain it in the final four,” he said.

He explained that the management of the team would continue to add good players to it to compete favourably in the future.

“In the 1990s we had always played well and we had good male and female basketball teams up to the year 2000s. Some of the players are currently our head coaches in male, female and the national teams. We are looking forward to the future to build teams that will be able to dominate basketball for the next 6-8 years,” he said.

He expressed confidence that his team would do well in the final four of the Nigeria Basketball League.

The secretary said that their record had justified their high rating with unbeaten performances in the second phase of the ongoing NBBF event.

“We will try as much as possible to pick the tickets. This win is just a motivation for the team to do more in the final four,’’ he said.

The Nigeria Customs Service Basketball Club, Gboko City Chiefs, Rivers Hoopers, Hoops and Reads Basketball Club of Lagos would compete in the final four scheduled for November 19 to 26 in a yet-to-be-decided venue.

The winner of the 2023 NBBF Premier Basketball League would represent Nigeria at the 2023 Basketball African League slated for the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

(NAN)