Mark-D-Ball is an initiative of Hon. Igoche Mark, the aim is He said is to help young people to become better citizens using the basketball medium. According to him, Nigeria could revive its image by encouraging the development of sports at the grassroots with the youth being the target.
In 2012, more than 250 children within the ages of eight to sixteen years were trained and from among them, some were selected after the training and given scholarships to go to school and also build up their career in the sport. The 2012 edition also gave birth to Markmentors basket ball club that was able to be ranked among the best three basket ball teams in the country in its first season in the DSTV basket ball league.
"This year (2013) the intent is to train more than 300 students in the basketball academy and those that excel would be given scholarships to further their education, the theme here is catch them young while we teach them how to develop their skills.
"We also encourage them to go to school; to use sports as a past time; the idea is we believe that if you train up a child early enough in his skill, he/she will grow up to become the Akeem Olajuwon of tomorrow and today's celebrated sportsmen."
Mark D Ball team went up against a celebrity team of basket-ball players, in a friendly game at the opening ceremony of the tournament drawn from Music, Nollywood and News Media.
Senate President David Mark, threw his weight behind this competition and made it a world class event that now employs youths from across Benue, Nigeria and around the world. it offers hope for the community and exposes the communities to business opportunities.
The
idea of this initiative is the Senate President’s commitment of getting
the youths off the street through something they can easily relate to –
sports. During the tournament, participants are challenged to meet
people and network therefore making efforts for the country to unite
under one bond; there is a three part “code of living” that participants
are encouraged to live by while participating in the tournament. As
individuals, as team members, and as members of society – the basic
theme that runs through the code is: to try and develop ones skills to
the best of their ability, and also to be aware that as a team player,
you must consider your fellow team members and put the team’s personal
goals ahead of yours. One must also be aware that participating in the
tournament means you must be ready to impact your community positively
.
Africa's music icon, Innocent Ujah Idibia aka 2face Idibia, and "Oleku"
proponent, Ice Prince, wowed fans as the 13th edition of 'Mark D Ball'
basketball competition, a competition sponsored by Mark Sports
Foundation, in Otukpo, Benue State.
The opening ceremony of the 2013 edition of the tournament was held
Thursday night at the Otukpo club with dignitaries and thousands of
fans in attendance.
2face performed several of his hit tracks to the delight of the guests at the occasion, so was Ice Prince.
Other top stars who entertained the guests were MI, Kcee, Fred Bright,
Victor Osuagwu, Vector, Sound Sultan, Style Plus, Black face and
Ikechukwu.
Declaring the competition open, the Senate President, David Mark who
commended the organizers for a job well done, expressed optimism that
the competition will help uplift the youths of the country.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Director General of the
National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and the
representative of the House of Representative, Hon. Ezekiel Adaji
commended the initiative.
"The National Sports Commission is appreciative of your efforts...as you
are doing now, I'm sure in the next few years, we will see youngsters
coming out of this programme becoming national basketball players,
becoming future stars of basketball," Elegbeleye noted.
Speaking earlier, the President of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Umar
Tijani, said the competition will help foster the Federation's
grassroots sports development programme.
"With over 500 kids who are going through the basic fundamentals of
basketball and out of these kids, we get some of them who have
exceptional talents that we will need."
He added that: "the Federation is going to keep an eye on every emerging
stars from the tournament so that we can all work together to make it a
very successful investment.
As part of the opening ceremony, an exhibition match was thereafter
played between Nigeria's celebrities and Veterans of the game with the
former emerging winners by 17:14 margin.
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Picture credit: tanks to www.naijatainmentxtra.blogspot.com
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