In Int’l Basketball, NPA Win Again!
-IE Suffer Massive Defeat

                                       NPA Pythons

It is often said that experience pays a whole lot. This saying is actually paying off in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan in favor of Liberia deputy basketball champions NPA Pythons who have staged two wins in the ongoing African National Championship in basketball.

The deadly Pythons, as they are affectionately called, have shown basketball fans attending the meet and followers of the competition elsewhere what they have experienced from their previous appearances in the fray.

Pythons attended the summit in 2004 in Abidjan and 2005 in Conakry coming third in both appearances. But the Liberian side now appears poise to reach finals of the competition in November of this year in Nigeria .

The confirmation comes from the backdrop of pythons’ first two victories before their narrow lost yesterday to Backs of Guinea in group “B”.

Having dominated most parts of the duel, pythons failed to maintain their winning spree according to reports bowing down by a one point margin- 50 points to 51.

On Sunday, NPA beat Braves CEPS of Ghana by 66 points to 64 before going on to stage the second feat on Monday by 73 points to 71 over ZENITH of host Ivory Coast .

NPA’s counterparts, champions IE, have crashed in all three matches played so far in group “A”. In their latest match yesterday, IE lost by 58 points to 94 to Plateau Peaks of Nigeria .

Monday’s encounter saw the yellow boys losing to Africa Sport of Ivory Coast 42-59 points. And in their first match on Sunday, they felt to ASPAC of Benin by 81-72 points.

Only two teams will emerge from each group of the African Basketball Championship qualifier who join others in Nigeria for the grand finally Nigeria . The qualifier, which started on October 6, will climax this Saturday October 14.

In a related matter, the president of the Liberia Basketball Federation, Gbou Wilson, has been elected on the board of the African Basketball Federation- AFIBA, at the current competition.

This means Madam Wilson is required to attend all AFIBA competitions. The Liberian sport official was recently elected head of the female branch of sub-region’s basketball body.