Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-02-22 02:22:17
Former champions, D’Tigers of Nigeria, have made the difficult decision to pull out of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers, which were scheduled to begin in Tunisia this weekend. The team had been drawn in Group B of the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers, alongside Cape Verde, Libya, and Uganda.
The decision to withdraw from the pre-championship tournament was largely due to the Nigeria Basketball Federation’s (NBBF) inability to secure the necessary funding from the Federal Government. According to a source close to NBBF President, Musa Kida, the federation was unable to procure the funds needed to purchase flight tickets for team members, many of whom are scattered across the United States and Europe.
In a tweet from its official handle yesterday, the NBBF lamented that despite convincing members of the 2020 Olympics squad to participate, D’Tigers would be forfeiting the AfroBasket qualifiers due to a lack of government funding. This situation reflects a recurring problem for Nigeria’s basketball teams, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the NBBF in securing necessary resources for its athletes.
Earlier this year, the NBBF had contemplated withdrawing the women’s national team, D’Tigress, from participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics qualifiers due to funding issues. However, the federation was able to secure the necessary funding from the government, allowing the team to compete in Belgium and qualify for the Games.
An official from the NBBF expressed frustration with the Federal Government’s consistent preference for providing funding to football, while neglecting other sports. This sentiment was underscored by the recent allocation of N12.5 billion to the Nigeria Football Federation ahead of the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, highlighting the disparity in financial support between sports within the country.
The final window of the AfroBasket qualifiers is set to take place from February 17 to 25, 2025, in yet to be designated countries. Despite the disappointment of not being able to compete in the current qualifiers, it is hoped that the NBBF will be able to resolve its funding challenges and provide continued support for its basketball teams in the future. The withdrawal of D’Tigers from the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers serves as a reminder of the need for greater investment and support for all sports within Nigeria, ensuring that its athletes have the resources they need to compete at the international level.
