THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Because they couldn’t sit at home doing nothing, 15-year-old Precious and Promise Idiaru took to sports many years ago. They started with football and later switched to basketball, in which the tall brothers have proved to be very good. They have now been nominated for Germany’s Under-15 national team which will take part in the 4-nation North Sea Development Cup tournament on 8-13 August in Vejen, Denmark.
“It was a normal story,” said Promise about their road from football to basketball. The brothers, who play for the Under-16 team of TSV TOWERS Speyer-Schifferstadt, enjoyed playing football until Promise decided that he was “too tall” for the sport and started trying basketball out. His brother Precious, who for some time still continued to play football as a goalkeeper, joined him later.
The twin brothers have now been playing basketball for seven years and, according to their trainers Mike Gould and Marcus Trunk, they have developed their skills remarkably in the sport.
The discipline of the Idiarus have made them the favourites of their coaches who attest to the Nigerian-Germans’ dedication to training. Even during school vacations when trainings don’t usually take place the twin brothers voluntarily practice in special sessions to hone their skills.
Precious and Promise played no small role in their team’s winning of the Rhineland-Palatinate’s Under-16 championship for the second time in 2017. It was during the tournament this year that they came to the notice of officials of the German Basketball Federation, who were convinced that both young players have what it takes to belong to the national team.
The Idiarus’ first international outing in Denmark will further expose them to more opportunities for development in the sport, which Precious and Promise are determined to take.
“Each of us wants to become a professional,” said Precious. And coach Trunk is confident that the sky is the limit for the talented twin brothers.
Femi Awoniyi
