By Eddie Akalonu

Former national star and coach, Agboola Pinheiro has described the future of basketball in the country as bright just as he singled out the women’s game as one on the rise.

“I’ m impressed by their performance especially some of the new individual players in both teams (First Bank and First Deep Water). For a while now we have lost the services of some or most of our notable national team players who have either retired or moved on to other things. We have some now as coaches.  It’s also a revelation of materials for the national team,” he said

Speaking in Lagos about his impressions of the standard of play and performances of Nigerian club sides, First Bank and First Deep Water at the just concluded 17th Fiba-Africa Basketball Club Champions Cup for women, Pinheiro, a former handler of the national women’s team, First Bank (Elephant girls) and later Union Bank male team,described the second and third final standing of the two Nigerian teams as “a sense of accomplishment.

“I am looking at experience gathered by some of those players, and clubs from competing against the rest and even the winner, Inter of Angola. It makes the players feel that what they have been doing at home in the league has not been in vain. Just give some of them a bit more time and we will have new stars on our hands.