Why Nigeria Basketball Demands NSC’s Attention – Thompson

By Akeem Busari

Nigeria sports community has been jolted by the saddening news making rounds that D’Tigers and D’Tigress, as well as, both the female and male U18 national teams have been crying out over neglect by the National Sports Commission.

The Junior D’Tigers and Junior D’Tigress are both in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire participating in the ongoing FIBA U18 Afrobasket Finals.

While the D’Tigress are currently on a intercontinental training tour in preparations for the FIBA Women’s World Cup coming up in Berlin, Germany, in September.

The country’s senior male national basketball team D’Tigers, are equally preparing for the next window as they go back to the continent as they bid for a ticket to the 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup, in Qatar.

The unfortunate news is that the country’s sports superintendent, the National Sports Commission led by the duo of Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, have literally abandoned these teams, even as the Nigeria Basketball Federation led by Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, is at the breaking point having had to bear the financial burden of preparating these teams for their various international engagements.

 Reacting to the worrisome news, as the teams, particularly, the D’Tigress are worried by the lack of supports from the NSC, renowned sports activist and national coordinator of Friends Of Nigeria Sports, Chief Diprieye Thompson, has expressed his disappointment with the nonchalance of the NSC to the activities of the NBBF, describing it as a big and dangerous step that could derail the progress of the game in Nigeria. 

“This apparent nonchalance by the NSC towards the preparations and participation of our national basketball teams for their various international engagements, is very bad.

“We saw how the NSC lavishly rained dollars on the country’s athletes during the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. If all that was to encourage and motivate them, it’s fine.

“However, it is a shame that the same NSC, are not looking the ways of Nigeria’s national basketball teams, who obviously needs the same financial and moral supports. 

“We haven’t forgotten in a hurry induced crisis almost killed basketball in Nigeria. Now, we’re appealing to the NSC, not to abandon the NBBF, for the sake of the game,” he admonishes.

Thompson went on to express his disappointment with the reported remarks by the Director-General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, that the NBBF should go out and get corporate supports because the government can’t do it alone.

“It is hypocritical for Olopade to make such statement. The government have been sponsoring the activities of all sports federations. Why is the case of the NBBF, different?” he demanded rhetorically.