Kwara Falcons

Last updated

Kwara Falcons
Kwara Falcons logo.png
ConferenceAtlantic
Leagues Nigerian Premier League
Founded1980
HistoryKwara Falcons
(1980–present)
Arena Kwara Stadium
Location Ilorin, Kwara, Nigeria
PresidentAliu Jubril
Head coach Baba Jubril
Team captainAjileye Seyi Gideon
Championships1 (2022)

The Kwara Falcons are a Nigerian basketball team based in Ilorin, Kwara. The team plays in the Nigerian Premier League and has won one championship in 2022. Following their national championship, the Falcons also competed in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in 2023.

Contents

Founded in 1980, the Falcons play their home game in the indoor sports complex of the Kwara Stadium. [1]

History

The Kwara Falcons were founded in 1980.

The Kwara Falcons were promoted to the Premier League in 2013, after winning the Atlantic Conference in the Division 1. [2] In their first season in the top-flight, the Falcons managed to avoid relegation. In 2015, the team finished third in the Atlantic Conference, behind star players such as Baba Jubril, Lanre Alimi and Tunde El-Alawa. [2] In 2016 and 2017, the Falcons reached the semi-finals of the national championship.

In 2018, Kwara were the runners-up of the Premier League, finishing only behind Rivers Hoopers. [3]

On November 12, 2022, the Falcons won their first-ever national championship after winning the 2022 season. As a result, they qualified directly for the 2023 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). [4]

For their inaugural BAL season, the Falcons strengthened their roster with AJ Wilson, Michael Kolawole and Jeremiah Mordi. [5] The Falcons were drawn into the Sahara Conference and lost all five of its games. [6]

Honours

Nigerian Premier League

Louis Edem Invitational Tournament

Players

2023 roster

The following Kwara Falcons roster played in the 2023 BAL season.

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Kwara Falcons roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
G 00 Flag of Nigeria.svg Oriakhi, Michael 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)20 – (2003-05-09)9 May 2003
PG 2 Flag of Senegal.svg Thiam, Modou Fall  (E)18 – (2005-05-25)25 May 2005
PF 4 Flag of Nigeria.svg Adekoya, Jawad 30 – (1994-01-04)4 January 1994
SF 7 Flag of Nigeria.svg Kolawole, Michael 26 – (1997-08-07)7 August 1997
SG 10 Flag of Nigeria.svg Kareem, Ademola 26 – (1997-10-08)8 October 1997
PF 13 Flag of the United States.svg Wilson Jr., Anthony 26 – (1997-10-16)16 October 1997
SG 14 Flag of Nigeria.svg Ezeh, Victor 21 – (2003-02-12)12 February 2003
PF 15 Flag of Nigeria.svg Mohammed, Victor 21 – (2002-04-03)3 April 2002
PF 23 Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Conteh, Sita 25 – (1998-08-03)3 August 1998
SG 24 Flag of Nigeria.svg Mordi, Jeremiah 31 – (1993-01-07)7 January 1993
F/C 34 Flag of the United States.svg Monyyong, Ruot 26 – (1998-02-14)14 February 1998
F/C 41 Flag of Cameroon.svg Nyemeck, Kevin 22 – (2001-10-07)7 October 2001
F/C 45 Flag of Nigeria.svg Akpejiori, Austin 26 – (1997-08-09)9 August 1997
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
Updated: 25 September 2023

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian Premier League (basketball)</span> Basketball league

The Nigerian Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NPL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Nigeria. The league consists of sixteen teams who are categorized into two conferences based on the geographical location. These conferences are Savannah and the Atlantic. The league was sponsored by the DSTV until 2017, who had both title and TV rights through the contract agreement. The league was then referred to as the DSTV Premier Basketball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigeria Basketball Federation</span> Governing body for basketball in Nigeria

The Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) is the governing body for men's and women's basketball in Nigeria. NBBF has been an affiliate of FIBA Africa since 1963, and its offices are located in Abuja and Lagos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Ahly (basketball)</span> Egyptian basketball club in Cairo

Al Ahly is an Egyptian basketball club of Al Ahly SC, located in Cairo, Cairo Governorate, that plays in the Egypt Basketball Super League. Currently, two of its athletes play for the Egypt men's national basketball team. The team is a part of the multi-sports club of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FAP Basketball</span> Basketball team in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Forces Armées et Police Basketball, commonly known as simply FAP or FAP Yaoundé, is a basketball team based in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It is the basketball team of the Cameroonian armed forces and police. The team previously played in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and domestically plays the Elite Messieurs. FAP has won the national championship three times, the Cameroon Cup once, and the Central Region League Championship three times.

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the organization was established by both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivers Hoopers</span> Basketball team in Rivers, Nigeria

Rivers Hoopers is a Nigerian basketball team based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The team plays in the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) and currently in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 BAL season</span> Inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2021 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 1, was the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Established as a joint effort between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and FIBA, the BAL is the highest tier continental league of Africa, replacing the FIBA Africa Basketball League. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BAL held its inaugural season one year later as planned, with the season beginning in 2021. Initially the league planned to play in six venues in six countries; however, due to the pandemic the season was held in a bio-secure bubble in Kigali, Rwanda. The season began on 16 May 2021 and ended on 30 May 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">REG BBC</span> Basketball team in Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda Energy Group BBC, commonly known as REG, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. It is owned and named after the company Rwanda Energy Group Limited. It plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the highest tier of basketball in Rwanda. REG has won the national championship thrice, in 2017, 2021 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 NBBF President Cup</span> Sports season

The 2019 NBBF Nigerian Premier League was the national championship for Nigerian basketball organised by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). The draw was held on 11 November 2019. All game were played at the National Stadium in Lagos. The winners of the President Cup qualify for the 2020 Basketball Africa League (BAL), the newly established pan-African league by FIBA and the NBA. Rivers Hoopers won its third Nigerian championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clube Ferroviário da Beira (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Beira, Mozambique

Clube Ferroviário da Beira is a basketball club from Beira, Mozambique. The team plays in the national Mozambican Basketball League (LMB) and has won the national championship five times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 BAL season</span> 2nd season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2022 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 2, was the second season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season began on 2 March 2022 and ended with the Finals on 28 May 2022. The group phase was played in the Dakar Arena in Dakar and the Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall in Cairo. The playoffs and finals were played in the BK Arena in Kigali for a second year in a row.

Jeremiah Mordi is a Nigerian professional basketball player who currently plays for the London Lightning of the NBL Canada (NBLC). Born in Lagos, he played college basketball for Queens College. After four seasons with Queens, he turned professional and started his career in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 BAL season</span> 3rd season of the Basketball Africa League

The 2023 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 3, was the third season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season began on 11 March 2023 and ended on 27 May 2023. The playoffs were played in the BK Arena in Kigali, which hosted the final stage for a third season in a row. The regular season was played in Dakar, Senega and Cairo, Egypt, both venues hosted a conference for a second year in a row.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stade Malien (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Bamako, Mali

Stade Malien is a Malian basketball team based in Bamako. It is part of the multi-sports club, which also has a football team and rugby team. Founded in 1960, Stade plays in the Ligue 1, the highest level of basketball in Mali. They play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in the 2023 season.

The 2022 NBBF Premier League was the 21st season of the Nigerian Premier League, the top division of professional basketball in Nigeria. After the 2021 season was organised by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports, the organisation returned to the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) this season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baba Jubril</span> Nigerian basketball player and coach (born 1990)

Kadri Baba Jubril is a Nigerian professional basketball coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Kwara Falcons of the Nigerian Premier League (NPL).

The 2022–23 season of US Monastir was the 64th in the club's history. It is the club's third season in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). This season US Monastir was coached by Marouan Kechrid until October, when Linos Gavriel took over. However, Gavriel did not coach during the 2023 BAL season, where the head coaching duties were given to former BAL championship-winning Miodrag Perišić.

Victor Ezeh is a Nigerian professional basketball player who plays for the Nigeria national team. A graduate of the NBA Academy Africa, he has been considered as one of the top talents in Nigerian basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigeria Customs (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Lagos, Nigeria

Nigeria Customs, also known simply as Customs, is a Nigerian basketball team based in Lagos. It is the basketball team of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and they play in the Nigerian Premier League, the top-level division of basketball in the country.

Israel Oyoro Otobo is a Nigerian professional basketball player who currently plays for Dynamo of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Playing at centre, he has played for the Nigeria national team since 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "KWARA FALCONS TO MOVE TO THE UNILORIN ARENA TEMPORARILY AS KWARA STATE GOVERNMENT RENOVATES THE INDOOR SPORTS HALL". bballnaija.com. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 ""LOW KEY! ALL OF THEM DON DEY NOTICE" - THE JOURNEY OF THE KWARA FALCONS IN FIREBOY DML`S WORDS". bballnaija.com. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  3. ↑ "KWESE PREMIER LEAGUE: Gombe Bulls are new champions, beat Kwara Falcons 81-67". 9 October 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Omoniyi, Oluwaferanmi (13 November 2022). "NBBF Final 8: Kwara Falcons wins first title as High school student emereges MVP". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "BAL 2023 : LES KWARA FALCONS SIGNENT TROIS NOUVEAUX JOUEURS" (in French). 26 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "What happened at the 2023 Sahara Conference?". The BAL. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Nwoke, Chidi (12 February 2023). "Kwara Falcons Win Louis Edem Men's Invitational Basketball Championship". Voice of Nigeria. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.