Sports with Phillip Braide
The indoor basketball gym of the Dolphins team came alive again as basketball enthusiast and supporters of the Dolphins clan came out in their numbers to pay glowing tribute to the Chairman of the club during a memorial game played in his honor.
In 1997, Wale Aboderin became the first individual to own a female basketball team in Nigeria. They were a force to reckon with in the Nigerian female basketball league which also earned them rights to play in several African Club Championships. They won the FIBA Africa champions cup for women zone 3 qualifiers in 2015 at Burkina Faso.
The club boasts of a standard indoor basketball gym, swimming pool, workout gym, and hostel to enhance the performance of the players. However following the passing of the chairman years after, the team was disbanded and facilities are at the risk of deterioration owing to lack of use.
When approached, Nicole Aboderin, one of the chairman's daughter to enquire about what plans they had for the facility and she assured me that an action plan was in place to revive the facility but could not tell how soon or for how long that may happen.
Post humus awards were presented to the chairman in recognition of his sterling contributions to the game of basketball by the Diaspora Care Sports Foundation and the Aluma Foundation. These were recieved by Nicole and Vanessa Aboderin on behalf of the family.
Big shout out to Col Sam Ahmedu, Abimbola Faniran, Idris Abdul Kareem, Gbade Latona, Deinde Ogunbiyi et al from our basketball constituency for turning up for the Chairman of Chairmen.
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