Concerns loom within the basketball community as Nigeria faces potential turmoil at the upcoming Women’s Afrobasket Championship in Rwanda.
The decision to assemble a makeshift team for the championship in Kigali has raised alarms among stakeholders.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) recently called for interested players to participate in open camps across America, Abuja, and Lagos, with the aim of selecting the country’s representatives for the tournament.
Nigeria, the defending champion of the Women’s Afrobasket Championship, boasts a talented squad comprising some of Africa’s finest players. However, there are growing fears that these players may opt out of the national team due to the ill-treatment they received after qualifying for the 2022 FIBA World Cup in Australia.
The Nigerian government unilaterally withdrew D’Tigress from the competition, citing a crisis within the federation, leading to discontent among the players who felt their interests were disregarded.
This has resulted in some players vowing not to play for the country again.
As the championship approaches, the NBBF finds itself in a predicament, scrambling to assemble a competitive squad within a few weeks.
The appointment of Rena Wakama as the women’s coach has made it difficult to establish contact with some of the established players, necessitating the open camps.
However, concerns have been raised about the potential quality of the players who will attend these camps and their ability to defend Nigeria’s title in Kigali.
Efforts to obtain a response from NBBF President Musa Kida and Vice President Babs Ogunade were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to messages sent to them.
Nonetheless, sources within the NBBF assure that the federation is making every effort to ensure a respectable performance by D’Tigress in Kigali.
The NBBF has scheduled trials in Chicago, the United States (July 8-9); National Stadium, Lagos (July 8-9); and Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja (July 10-11).
The Women Afrobasket Championship, taking place at the BK Arena, will feature four groups of three teams each from July 28 to August 6.
Basketball enthusiasts anxiously await the outcome, hoping that Nigeria can overcome the challenges and field a competitive team that will uphold the country’s basketball prowess on the African continent.
