By Victor Kanayo
After uncertainty that was triggered following lack of funds, the Nigeria senior male basketball team, mostly known as D’Tigers are on their way to Monastir, Tunisia to take part in the qualifier for 2025 Afrobasket tournament.
The qualification series will officially kick-off on Friday, February 22, 2024.
A press statement by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Thursday said, “There have been palpable concerns in the basketball community, when it seemed that the team would not be participating at the 2025 Afrobasket qualifier window-1, due to the paucity of funds that the ministry of sports is facing.
“However, the Honourable Minister for Sports development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has given his consent for the NBBF leadership to do all that they can to see that the D’Tigers participate in the qualifiers, with an assurance that the necessary funds will be approved and released within the next three weeks, to pay for the flight tickets of the team, allowances and other logistics for the qualifiers.
“We can now authoritatively confirm that the D’Tigers are on their way to Tunisia and should arrive at the nick of time for the qualifiers and their match.
“While appreciating and applauding the support of the Sports ministry and especially the Honourable Minister of sports development, in his usual manner of thoughtfulness and thoroughness in ensuring that the team makes the trip to the qualifiers, even if very late, the NBBF President Engr Ahmadu Musa Kida and his team rose to the challenge and ensured that all is done for the team to depart for Tunisia, at such short notice, and save Nigeria from huge embarrassment locally and internationally.
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“This has quickly doused the anger of FIBA and pessimists, who do not understand the internal financial situation that the NBBF is faced with, especially the huge outsourcing liabilities of the NBBF that are still outstanding unpaid from 2019.
“Yes, even though this is coming late, it is heart-warming that our boys would eventually take part in the qualifiers for the 2025 Afrobasket championship.
“The board of the NBBF is deeply grateful to the Honorable Minister of Sports, Senator John Owan Enoh, for coming good with his timely support and of course, saving the country from disgrace, and another FIBA ban.”
Nigeria’s men basketball team had experienced a nosedive in their performance in recent times.
