By Ado Salisu
Eight universities in Kano State are expected to compete in the maiden edition of 1st Kanawa Tertiary Institution Basketball Championship 2025, scheduled to hold at Bayero University Kano basketball courts on Monday.
The tournament, organized in collaboration with DAM Foundation, aims to prepare universities ahead of the zonal preliminaries to be hosted by Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, as well as the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) at the University of Jos, Plateau state, in April/May this year.
Speaking shortly after conducting the tournament’s draw of the competition at Bayero university Kano (BUK), the tournament’s Coordinator and former player of Kano Pillars basketball team, Sunusi Shuaibu, popularly known as Badway, stated that they initiated the championship to assist the universities to prepare their players ahead of zonal preliminaries and NUGA proper.
Sanusi Shuaibu Badway who double as chief coach BUK basketball team charged the participating institutions to cooperate and support the organisers towards the success of the championship.
While commending DAM foundation for their commitment and support especially in the development of the game, he urged participants to utilize the tournament as training ground ahead of zonal preliminaries and NUGA proper.
He announced that Group A consist of Bayero university Kano, Aliko Dangote university of science and technology Wudil, Baba Ahmad university and Elrazi Medical University while group B has Northwest University Kano, khalifa Isyaku Rabiu university KHAIRUN, Skyline university and Federal University of Education Kano.
Sanusi Shuaibu Badway however, said a two committees has been constituted protest and jury aimed at actualising the set objective.
Responding on behalf of the participating teams, the former Kano Pillars basketball player and now academic staff of Federal University of Education Kano, Dr. Jamilu Muhd charged participants not to take the competition as a do or die affairs.
In his remarks, the representative of the DAM foundation, Dr. Abdulrhman Shuaibu solicited the support and cooperation of the participants with a view to achieve the set target.
The eight participant universities received a brand new jersey sets for the tournament.
Prizes and trophies were expected to be won at the end of the championship.