Thanasis Antetokounmpo, a Greek-Nigerian NBA champion, made his first-ever visit to Nigeria and participated in a basketball coaching event targeted at empowering young minds in Nigerian secondary schools through the positive influence of sports.
Antetokounmpo, who was hosted in a basketball clinic organised by Greensprings School in collaboration with Flour Mills of Nigeria, shared his journey and development as a basketball player to encourage young minds.
Reflecting on his experience, Antetokounmpo, who was making his first-ever visit to Nigeria, expressed gratitude to Greensprings School for hosting him and commended the exceptional facilities of the school.
According to him, his main purpose for coming to Nigeria was to inspire young children and show them that becoming a basketball star is possible, adding that Greensprings School was the perfect venue for the basketball clinic, with its outstanding facilities and dedication to nurturing students from ages 2 to 18.
The students eagerly participated in a question-and-answer session with the NBA star, asking thought-provoking questions about his remarkable journey in basketball.
Following the interactive session, he joined the kids on the courts, engaging in skill-building drills and friendly games. The exceptional players were given the opportunity to challenge him one-on-one in both offence and defence.
Earlier, Sadiq Usman, group director of Strategy and Stakeholder Relations at Flour Mills of Nigeria, said programmes like this help in fostering inspiration among children.
Usman said sporting activities like basketball emphasised the importance of discipline, hard work, and sacrifice in achieving success in the game.
According to him, the event aimed at celebrating the game of basketball and expressing the commitment of the company to improving the partnership with the school.
He urged the student to see the game of basketball much more than just the drills, adding that the game is also about their bodies as once they begin to play, they must be disciplined and ready to make sacrifices.
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Speaking on the significance of the event, Lai Koiki, executive director of Greensprings School, said the school is honoured to welcome the basketball superstar Thanasis, who came with the intention to leave a legacy by mentoring young students.
Koiki said the interaction the students had with the NBA star provided them with valuable insights and tips for achieving success.
“We are excited about this partnership with Flour Mills of Nigeria and hope it will foster a lasting interest in basketball among our students,” she said.
The basketball clinic proved to be a resounding success, leaving a positive impact on the students and reinforcing the power of sports in inspiring young minds.
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