Despite neglect, Nigeria’s U-18 basketball teams depart for S’Africa

Nigeria’s U-18 boys and girls’ teams are expected to depart for South Africa, tomorrow, to feature in the FIBA Africa U-18 Championship, which tips off on September 2 in Pretoria.

The boys are travelling from Abuja, while the young ladies leave via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.The players, their coaches, and the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) officials have expressed their determination to return home with tickets to the World Championship despite the Federal Government and corporate bodies’ neglect of the teams.

The NBBF officials have had to scratch all over the country to raise the needed funds for the trip from private sources as they could not get any assistance from the Federal Ministry of Sports Development.

A member of one of the NBBF’s committees, who pleaded anonymity, said that the objective of putting together the team will be met.
“We can’t play with the same set of D’Tigress and Tigers forever and so we have to keep building up junior players for the future. Winning the trophy in South Africa, if that happens, can only be a bonus. The objective is to get a lot of our young players exposed and upgraded; we are not doing this programme for immediate results and surely it is continuous.”

The Nigeria U-18s got the African tickets after winning the FIBA Africa Zone 3 competition in Abidjan earlier this month, while the Olympics was ongoing in Paris.

Basketball stakeholders had hoped that the team would get some financial support from the sports ministry, as the championship is a developmental programme, but that did not come.

At the FIBA Championship, Nigeria’s boys’ team will play in Group B against Angola, Egypt and Uganda. The girls will play in Group C against Egypt, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The finalists of the FIBA U-18 AfroBasket 2024 will represent Africa at next year’s FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup in Switzerland. The 12 players in the boys’ team are Sulaimon Azeez Olaitan, Ojiako Jovan Chiebuka, Dan-Mutum Daubuna-Chule Ibrahim, kpee Favour Komene, Owinje Ohiozojeblake and Bassey Ekpo-Effiong.

Others are Dalhat Abdulmalik Malik, Ezekiel Isaac Oluwatemitope, Hart Abraham Boyce, Ibe Favour Ikedinachukwu, Ike David Ugonna and Ajala Chidalu David. The girls’ squad comprises Hembam Wandoo Marvis, Beggi Idubamo Pius, Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor, John Patience, Umeh Amarachi Blessing and Idris Maryam Omotomiwa.

Others are Sampson Favour Izibefien, Iwuji Vivian Chiamaka, Ayodeji Haminatu Olanrewaju, Shehu Khadijat Garba, Tewogbade Mololuwa Ayomide and Isaac Abigail.