THE annual national female Basketball League sponsored by Zenith Bank will dunk off today at the Indoor sports hall of the National Stadium in Abuja.

Zenith Bank Basketball league

A total of 18 teams are competing for honours in the competition with the defending Champions First Bank Basketball team maintaining their status as favourites.

The 2015 winners, Dolphins basketball club and First Deepwater, Delta Force Basketball Club, Zamfara Babes, AHIP Queens of Kano Oluyole Babes of Ibadan and Nigeria Immigration basketball team are others expected to compete for honours

Others include Plateau Rocks of Jos, Benue Princess, FCT Angels of Abuja, Sunshine Angels of Akure, Nasarawa Amazons, Taraba Hurricanes

Already the stadium in Abuja is wearing a new look in preparation for this first phase of the basketball competition.

Secretary General of the Nigeria Basketball Federation NBBF, Augustine Balewa, said all arrangements had been concluded to stage a hitch-free competition.

“There are some technical details to be unfolded after our meeting this evening (Sunday),” he said. The technical meeting was still on as at press time. Top officials of Zenith Bank and the President of NBBF, Tijani Umar, are expected to witness the official opening of the first phase of the league which will also take place in Kaduna, Asaba, Ibadan and Lagos.