After spending one season in the lower division, Nigeria Customs Service basketball club is back into the top flight DStv Premier Basketball League. They bounced back into the league after winning the national division-one championship last weekend in Abuja.
?
The border boys who were among the three teams that jostled for a place in the Premier League rounded off stiff challenge from Police Bombers of Lagos and Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan before stopping the foray of Nigeria Civil Defence Corp otherwise known as Defenders basketball club of Abuja in the final on Saturday.
?
Customs, who were coached in the Division-One championship by its assistant coach Mohammed ‘Jagu’ Abbah first handed a 68-57 points defeat of Police Bombers and followed up with a 84-57 points victory over Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan and completed its ambition of returning to the Premier League with a 77-59 points win over the Defenders of Abuja who also got a slot in the Premier League.
?
Customs who will campaign in the Atlantic conference replaces demoted Delta Force of Asaba while Defenders of Abuja will take the place of relegated Plateau Peaks of Jos in the Savannah conference of the 2011/2012 season.
?
Coach Abbah said the entire management of the NCS was happy with the team’s return to the top league. Customs now increase the number of Lagos-based Atlantic conference teams to seven, others in the conference include Union Bank, Comets, Dodan Warriors, Police Baton, Islanders and Chariots while league champion Royal Hoopers basketball club of Port Harcourt remains the only side in the conference that is based outside Lagos.
?
In the Savannah conference, Defenders join Kano Pillars, Immigration, Kada Stars, Bauchi Nets, Yelwa Hawks, Tapgun Rockets and Niger Potters.
?