By Joe Apu
Former national female team star, Nwamaka Rita Adibeli Elechenu was on Friday laid to rest in Lagos at the Military Cemetery, Ojo, Lagos.
At the requiem mass held for her at the St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, Agboju, ex-national team players and current players of the First Bank Elephant Girls as well as family and friends turned out in their numbers to pay their last respect.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF was also in attendance and was represented by its Vice President, Babs Ogunade.
From the church, her body was taken to the Military Cemetery in Ojo Barracks where she was laid to rest. Rev. Fr. Ntom led two other priests to give final blessings at the grave side where the church choir sang.
She was said to have been an active member of the church and was until her death the choir mistress.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) provided the flag with which the confine was dressed to give her a national burial.
In a statement by the NBBF President, Musa Kida, the federation described the demise of the member of the D’Tigress 2003 Afrobasket Championship as tragic, which has left the basketball team in deep shock and state of mourning.
“The former First Bank captain will forever remain in our hearts because we have lost an irreplaceable gem. Her career trajectory and achievements indicated that she was a true professional,” Kida had said.
Kida described her as one of the best point guards that ever came out of Nigeria as she strode the domestic and international stage like a colossus.
“Generations to come will read about her and be inspired. She was a good example of what every girl child should be.”
The late Amaka won a series of gold and silver medals for Lagos State women’s basketball team at the1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006 National Sports Festival.
At the club level, she was part of the invincible First Bank Women’s team that dominated and won the Zenith Women’s National Basketball league from 2002 to 2009.
The former Nigerian international was part of the D’Tigress team that clinched the 2003 and 2005 Afrobasket championship titles and the 2003 All African Games gold medal.
Apart from her string of successes, she was part of the First Bank team to win the 2003 and 2009 Afrobasket Club Championships. She was appointed as First Bank’s assistant coach between 2007 and 2010.
“We pray that her gentle soul finds a perfect peace in the bosom of her maker as those of us left behind to deal with the vacuums left in our hearts,” Kida said.