Otukpo (Benue)- Peter Ahmedu, Head Coach of Mark Mentors Basketball Club of Abuja, says the team performed poorly at the 2014 AfroBasket Clubs Championship in Tunisia because of inadequate preparation.
Ahmedu made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday at the ongoing Mark D’ Ball Basketball competition in Otukpo, Benue.
He said that the team would have been able to progress into the money spinning stage if the necessary things had been done.
“The preparation was not good enough to take us to the semi-finals stage.
“Most of the teams that came for the championship went on a training tour to acclimatise and this enabled them to be focused and get themselves prepared for the competition.
“They also got professional players to enhance their various teams; the team that came with the least professionals came with three, the other ones came with about six to seven.
“This means that they were well prepared and they spent money because they knew that they were going for a big championship in which money was involved.
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“So, anybody who is going for the first position which is one million dollars should be able to spend at least half a million dollars to get to that level,’’Ahmedu said.
According to him, the Angola and Tunisian teams are examples of teams that have the best of preparations.
He explained that both countries’ team had to stop their various league matches to embark on a training tour where they played friendly matches that were crucial.
Ahmedu, however, told NAN that in spite of their poor preparation, he had hoped for a quarter-finals place rather than the group exit of his team.
“I was hoping that with the experience I have, we will be able to manage the boys to be able to pull on to quarter-finals.
“It was so sad that we fell on the way side and we didn’t qualify for the quarter-finals but it was a great experience,’’ he said.
NAN recalls that the Angolan team Recreativo do Libolo won the 2014 AfroBasket Clubs Championship which ended in Tunisia on Dec. 20.
Tunisian clubs Etoile de Rades and Club Africain finished on the second and third positions respectively. (NAN)
