The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has attributed the recent failure of D’Tigers to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics to long outstanding financial liabilities.
In a statement released on Thursday, the federation expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for their support and urged Mr. President to approve and release all pending financial requests and past liabilities. These growing liabilities are causing significant challenges for the Federation.
“Some of these long outstanding liabilities Include the 2021 Afrobasket in Cameroun, where the D’Tigress emerged Champions, the Tokyo Olympic preparations and participation, and several others, and all these liabilities are getting to be a huge burden, and now hampering the ability of the NBBF to continue to provide the best of and maintain the huge successful strides made in the recent years.
“NBBF believes that with adequate preparations, and the full complement of its best players, the national teams will continue to do the country proud and perform better. It remains a fact that paucity or unavailability of funds has always militated against the even better-desired results for basketball and sports generally,” the statement read.
The federation however, acknowledged the collective disappointment of Nigeria basketball fans as well as stakeholders and is full of regrets with a sportsmanlike spirit over the non-qualification of D’Tigers after losing 68-77 to Mali in their first group game and 93-87 to Senegal in the second game at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
