Serbian canvasses early basketball education for Nigerian players

Nemanja Maric, son of a Serbian diplomat in Nigeria, who plays professional basketball in Romania for CSM Oradea told Fever Pitch after a training session with the FCT men basketball team in Abuja that he had seen a lot of talents but the players lack proper basketball education. Maric said most of the players he […]

Nemanja Maric, son of a Serbian diplomat in Nigeria, who plays professional basketball in Romania for CSM Oradea told Fever Pitch after a training session with the FCT men basketball team in Abuja that he had seen a lot of talents but the players lack proper basketball education.

Maric said most of the players he met on court are already adults but from his brief interaction with them, he was able to discover that they did not start playing basketball when they were much younger.

According to him, the players lack the fundamentals of the game and unless something is done to change the trend, the country should not think of making appreciable progress in the game.

Maric said: “There are lots of talents but I discover that they do not have proper basketball education. Most of them are adults but from all indications, it’s not long that they started. It’s not supposed to be so. It should have been earlier. In serious basketball nations, we start from either seven or eight. At eight we already know the fundamentals of basketball. These guys are missing something.

“There are lots of talents but you have to be brushed up. They are like raw diamonds that need to be brushed. Most of them have got good moves but they are still unrefined. They need proper basketball education. I am surprised why it is so”.

The Serbian however promised to keep in touch with some of the players through his dad, Mr. Savo Maric and the head coach of basketball in FCT, Emmanuel Odah saying at the appropriate time, he would not hesitate to link them up with clubs in Serbia and elsewhere in Europe.

He said: “If I see any player here that is good and is willing to go out, I won’t hesitate to help. If I find an opportunity in Serbia or somewhere else where he can develop his talent, I will gladly help. I will do all I can to get him there.

“But it is difficult situation because there is a lot of competition in Serbia and in the States. A lot of these guys, if they go out there, would have to sacrifice a lot. They will need to spend like two to three years learning the fundamentals. Some of them may like to play right away but they don’t have the basics. They will need to develop the necessary skills. They will be required to sit on the bench for some time to learn. So it is a mixture of these two things. But if I can help them, it will be my pleasure”.