African School Games: Basketball’s silver medal excites Bukola

August 1, 2025 by Tunde Liadi

The head coach of Nigeria’s basketball team to  the inaugural African School Games, Adebayo Abdullahi Bukola, has expressed immense pride after  the team secured a silver medal in the girls’ 3×3 basketball event held in Annaba, Algeria.

Reflecting on the tournament,  Bukola described the experience as unforgettable, especially for the young athletes—many of whom were competing internationally for the first time.

 “It was an amazing experience,” he said. “Only one of the girls had played outside the country before, so this was a huge opportunity for the rest. Representing Nigeria was a dream comes true for all of us. It’s a great honour because we were among the few chosen to wear the national colours.”

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While the team narrowly missed out on the gold medal, Bukola acknowledged the challenges during the final moments of the match.

“We had the gold medal within reach,” he admitted. “We can partly attribute the loss to officiating, but we also lost our composure in the crucial moments. Still, bringing home a silver medal is something we’re incredibly proud of.”

He emphasized that the tournament was a valuable learning experience and expressed optimism about the future.

 “With the experience we’ve gained here, I believe we’ll perform even better next time. Overall, I’m very happy and extremely proud of the girls—they played with heart and passion. It was truly emotional.”