The vice-president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBF), Babatunde Ogunade, has come out with a startling revelation that the slam-dunk governing body is fighting several battles simultaneously.
Speaking against the backdrop of recent poor performances by the country’s men’s basketball national team, D Tigers, Ogunade disclosed that the battles are mostly internal issues caused by Nigerians.
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While revealing that basketball buffs in the USA have devised a means to prevent Nigerian-born players from honouring the NBF’s call, Ogunade also fingered issues caused by sports authorities at home.
He alluded to the late release of funds by the Ministry of Sports and the downsizing of basketball delegations by the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) among other obstacles the NBF is facing.
However, the basketball technocrat from Lagos State pledged that he and other NBF top shots will keep trying the best they can to move the sports of giants forward.
Ogunade stated: “The Americans don’t want to release our players born in their country. What they do is put them on the roster so that they can not play for another country again, but they won’t use them.
“So we are fighting on that front. We are also fighting with the ministry to release funds so we can start things early.
“The NOC is another issue. They will cut down on the officials, even the coaching crew. So, we are fighting on so many fronts.
“I don’t know why many people fight against their own country. Those are the things we are going through, but we’ll continue to do our best.”
In the thick of things, though, Ogunade and Nigerian basketball stakeholders will take solace in the fact that the women’s national team, D Tigress will once again be at the Olympic Games this year in Paris, France.
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