Nigerian touch to streetball challenge
Wednesday June 3, 2009 By NG WEI LOON
Wednesday June 3, 2009 By NG WEI LOON
FORMER Nigerian junior cager Micheal Ogheneme will be joining the top local freestylists to drum up support for the remaining three legs of AND1 Streetball Challenge three-on-three basketball event.
The 25-year-old, who featured as a point guard for his national side at the World Junior Under-21 meet in Argentina in 2005, is on basketball scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies in business at HELP University College.
“I am also playing and coaching the university team. I expect to finish my studies in three years and hope to continue with the Masters degree,” said Ogheneme, who also emerged as the top 15 promising players in the African continent for the Basketball Without Borders campaign hosted by North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2004.
The lanky figure, who stands at 1.98m, was also part of the victorious Islanders Basketball Club lifting the Nigerian national league title for four consecutive years (2003-2006) and had the privilege to captain the side in 2005 and 2006.
After going through a dry spell without high level competition since residing here in September, Oghe-neme is itching to get back into top flight action.
The 25-year-old, who featured as a point guard for his national side at the World Junior Under-21 meet in Argentina in 2005, is on basketball scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies in business at HELP University College.
“I am also playing and coaching the university team. I expect to finish my studies in three years and hope to continue with the Masters degree,” said Ogheneme, who also emerged as the top 15 promising players in the African continent for the Basketball Without Borders campaign hosted by North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2004.
The lanky figure, who stands at 1.98m, was also part of the victorious Islanders Basketball Club lifting the Nigerian national league title for four consecutive years (2003-2006) and had the privilege to captain the side in 2005 and 2006.
After going through a dry spell without high level competition since residing here in September, Oghe-neme is itching to get back into top flight action.
Raising the bar: (From left) Ng clowning around with Ogheneme, Nabil, Ismadi and Anirudh.
“I have been playing basketball for a long time. I also started with streetball when I was growing up at the age of 16. It is nice that streetball also has a strong following here,” he said.
The four other former In Search of Freestylists winners from the previous three editions in team are Nabil Ra’uf Harun, Anirudh Aravind, Mohd Ismadi Hamidi and Lam Wei Ken.
Recently, Ogheneme joined the trio of Nabil, Anirudh and Ismadi to share their thoughts on the progress of the Milo In Search of Freestylists with Milo sports marketing manager Ng Ping Loong.
Ng acknowledged that the youngsters brought up constructive suggestions to inject more excitement into the freestyle contest.
“They are role models inspiring the budding competitors to keep on striving for improvement. They have great ideas to raise the bar and increase the degree of difficulty. But, they have not forgotten about the fun element to encourage others to take up the challenge,” he added.
The four other former In Search of Freestylists winners from the previous three editions in team are Nabil Ra’uf Harun, Anirudh Aravind, Mohd Ismadi Hamidi and Lam Wei Ken.
Recently, Ogheneme joined the trio of Nabil, Anirudh and Ismadi to share their thoughts on the progress of the Milo In Search of Freestylists with Milo sports marketing manager Ng Ping Loong.
Ng acknowledged that the youngsters brought up constructive suggestions to inject more excitement into the freestyle contest.
“They are role models inspiring the budding competitors to keep on striving for improvement. They have great ideas to raise the bar and increase the degree of difficulty. But, they have not forgotten about the fun element to encourage others to take up the challenge,” he added.
