ReboundGH: central courts

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All 6 teams get a chance to compete for the ultimate price after 3 weeks of 'regular season' games where each team had the chance to play up to 10 games. Day one of the playoffs see a few surprises especially with Immanuel losing to All Day and missing the chance to meet their arch rivals the Mambas in the finals.

If you've happen to play a lot of pick-up ball in Accra's most preferred spots, you should have by all means come across the writer of the piece below. Kofi Larbi known best amongst ball heads and friends as Kola Nut, finds a lot of time to play ball in between work and his travels around the country(he's currently up north in Tamale). Kola is that guy who won't shut up, will be having a lot of fun and still be nailing your team with treys from all sides.

Being the @Nuttykola that he is, he participated in the Central Rec. League playing for the Titans and found time to put his thoughts on the last day in writing. With his permission we decided to put it up on the blog.

Kola (on left) goofs around a Titans teammate, Teddy

FINAL DAY; CENTRAL RECREATIONAL LEAGUE

Another cool Saturday and there we are all set for the finals of the Central Recreational League at the International Central Gospel Church basketball court grounds. As usual jump ball is a bit late but the easy camaraderie that comes with every ballers gathering goes on. Pockets of conversations and players can be seen stretching and some shooting hoops just in wait for the games to start. Most notably is the Commissioner for the Central Recreational League and resident coach of the Central Courts Coach Olunloyo Feranmi looking quite the executive in khaki pants and a DC Dynamics polo shirt with what is missing only a jacket fit for the boardroom. Quite a refreshing sight from the always sporty casual dude players see around all the time.

The teams are all set. The Mambas, Tar Heels, Immanuel All Day, Rhinos and conspicuously lost is the veteran Titans. They were billed to play for fifth and sixth place with the Rhinos but they don’t show. This team has been inconsistent throughout the league obviously with members’ schedules not really in tandem with game times. But hey, this is recreational sport. It’s for healthy competition.

The games start and it is very evident that officiating on this final day has seemingly taken a nose dive with Referee Frank, who is not liked that much wherever he goes. This becomes obvious with some calls he makes during the games but it is commendable that he is strong-hearted and has the skin of a crocodile. He remains unfazed to criticism and whistled the game with an iron jaw, albeit players complaining. He must be commended for his taken a brave stand on this final day.

Vivid display of skills, tactics, strength and marksmanship characterized the final day. It was notable that indeed Ghana basketball has come a long way to remain hidden in the shadows and efforts have to be made to move it from a lesser known sport into the limelight. Thanks to events like the Sprite Ball, Storm Da Yard and now the Central Recreational League, it is the fervent hope of this writer that basketball will graduate from the obfuscating doldrums of obscurity into an ostentatious limelight of sports in Ghana. (ei brofo!) *chale kola relax*

At the end of it all, Team Mambas swept most of the awards. Prominent among excelling players was Mr Basketball, who took home about 5 awards including the lead scorer, slam dunk champion and the MVP. Obviously its no wonder he is called Mr Basketball. Congrats to him and Team Mambas for winning the first ever pioneering and maiden Central Recreational League.

I will like to sign off by saying kudos to the organizers for an event well planned. There must have been hitches here and there and it’s such a wonder that we didn’t even notice them because planning was detailed and thoroughly checked. I believe it all went well because the Central Courts basketball fraternity stick together and aim to change the face of basketball in Ghana bringing into it cooperation and promoting basketball as a team sport.

To all the players in the various teams I say Ayekoo, we are all winners because basketball is the ultimate winner. Without the players, this would have been impossible. Thanks for your cooperation and comportment throughout the maiden edition of the Central Recreational League.
Long Live Central Courts! Long Live Basketball! Long Live Ghana!
We Balling Till We Die!!
#Ballez4Life!!

fell free to follow this writer on twitter @Nuttykola

Accra's first ever recreational basketball league ended over the weekend. The league saw six teams playing six Saturdays of competitive basketball. The league which came into being through a collaboration between DC Dynamics head coach, Feranmi Olunloyo who also serves as the facility basketball coach for the Central Courts, ReboundGH and Rafiq Arthur.

The league was dominated by Meme Falconer a.k.a Mista Basketball and his Mambas team who went undefeated throughout their 14 game season. Other teams that competed were the veteran Titans, the ever changing Tar Heels, the young and ambitious All Day, the versatile Rhinos and the ever controversial Team Immanuel.