Leadership (Abuja)
Bassey Ekpo Bassey
22 July 2011
Proprietor of Lagos based Dodan Warriors basketball club, Col. Sam Ahmedu retd, has revealed that for failing to honour the World U-19 basketball championship which started yesterday in Chile, it will be difficult for the country to escape Federation of International Basketball (FIBA) hammer. He said the country will definitely face a ban and fine from the international body.
To escape been, Nigeria Olympic Committee headed by Sani Ndanusa wrote the international basketball federation, yesterday. Nigeria’s National U-19 Women’s team had qualified alongside Egypt to represent Africa at the FIBA U-19 Championship in Chile between July 21 and 31. They qualified as runners-up at the Afrobasket U-18 finals in Cairo last year and the Nigeria Basketball Federation NBBF as a build-up to the tournament registered the team in two separate pre-World Cup championships in Fougeres and Reze in France.
But yesterday, before the commencement of the championship, the federation pulled out. Sam Ahmedu, who is also a member of the marketing committee of the international basketball body, FIBA argued that the NBBF was not proactive. “It is the duty of the federation to raise funds. Why are you a federation if you cannot woo funds for a major developmental championship of this magnitude? I mean, we qualified for this championship a year ago, why did the federation not plan ahead? Even if Nigeria was not going to attend, why not write a long time ago and notify FIBA rather than wait until the last minute or on the day of the championship?
Ahmedu, who was an executive committee member of the last NBBF board under Gyang Buba said this has happened because most of those on the present board are ignorant of the rules. “Those at the federation were voted in because we believed they have the capacity to raise funds or use their resources to develop the game. They don’t understand the rules because they don’t own or run clubs.”
On what will happen next, Ahmedu said for the shame and disgrace meted to FIBA, host country Chile and Nigeria, the international federation will definitely ban or fine Nigeria after it must have given the NBBF opportunity to defend itself.
The NBBF recently cried out that despite its effort to develop the sport from the youth level, funds constraint may see it pulling out of the event especially due to the yet to be operational 2011 national budget. “The NSC is willing to assist but is reportedly financially handicapped at the moment and the federation has exhausted all funding avenues without answers. It is sad that such effort, such promise, such good future will be wasted on account of the inability of our rich nation to discharge its obligations to its youth. National teams are national property and treasure and this country must save itself the stigma and shame of being sanctioned and fined for failing to sponsor its other teams, not football when the world knows it could be done effortlessly.” A federation official cried earlier this month after sensing a possible withdrawal.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Link:
Nigeria: FIBA U-19 World Cup – Country Will Not Escape Fine, Ban – Ahmedu