Sports
Basketball Excels Amidst Crisis
Despite the leadership crisis that engulfed Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) after the elections that held in June 2017, the country still excelled in the year under review.
The basketball family was fractionalized because of Tijani Umar’s refusal to acknowledge the result of the election that held in Abuja, a day after he organized an orchestrated election in Kano that returned him to power.
With the Sports Ministry and the Nigeria Olympic Committee recognizing the Abuja election, all the shenanigans at the instance of Umar faction fell flat when FIBA acknowledged in a letter affirming the Abuja election won by Musa Kida.
The letter affirmation letter became inevitable when the NOC electoral committee contented that none of the factions would be recognized at the NOC election that held last week in Yola.
FIBA in a letter dated December 18, 2018 and addressed to the Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Tunde Popoola, who had written FIBA on the need to name the “eligible representative of the NBBF, who will be at the NOC elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) and to vote” in Yola, Adamawa State.
FIBA Secretary General, Andreas Zaglis, replied, “FIBA has communicated with the board of Kida concerning the affairs of the NBBF since July 2017 and has organized FIBA events with the same board’s assistance.
“Besides, FIBA notes that good progress is being made in regularizing fully the NBBF-FIBA relationship, which remains an internal matter of the basketball family, since the NBBF is not suspended and enjoy full rights as a member,” FIBA continued.
FIBA explained that having earlier received a letter from the NOC recognizing the board elected on the 13th of June 2017 in Abuja and the recent memo of the Federal Ministry of Youth Sports Development revalidating Kida and his board, the international body has deemed it fit to accord the board all the necessary recognition.
The latest letter, put paid to insinuations in different quarters over who is in charge of basketball administration in Nigeria expressly named Kida who recently bagged a Doctorate Degree in Credit Management as president.
The letter granting Kida (or a validly nominated delegate of his) therefore nullified the earlier erroneous pronouncement of the NOC electoral committee chaired by Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima that no board had been recognized by FIBA as the legitimate basketball federation.
With FIBA’s position clearly stated on who is in charge of basketball administration in Nigeria, Musa Kida called on all basketball stakeholders to join hands and contribute meaningfully to basketball growth.
He said despite the recent landmark achievements recorded by the board since its assumption of office, more ground could have been covered especially at the home front if not the incessant distractions.
The year began with the Commonwealth Basketball event in Australia. A home based team represented the country at the Commonwealth losing all games as expected. The team finished the competition with four straight losses. D’Tigers scored 248 points but conceded 355; with the team’s captain, Ikechukwu Diogu, posting 84 points. Nigeria however placed sixth at the end of the Games.
However, Kida desired to take the game to the next level ensured that the team got all the support needed in their bid to qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.
D’Tigers became the first Africa team to qualify for the FIBA Men’s World Cup after winning their first two qualifying tournaments in style.
However, D’t igress participation at the FIBA Women’s Championship was the icing in the cake in a year the country recorded excellent successes internationally.
At the Women’s World Cup, Nigeria became the first African team reached the quarterfinal of any FIBA tournament and were also the first African team to win more than one game in a single World Cup tournament.
Before the tournament, D’Tigress ranked 34th now emerged as the 2nd best team in Africa, replacing Angola.
Head Coach, Hughley Otis Jr. guided the team to a record of 3-4; including straight wins over Turkey, Argentina and Greece.
D’Tigress progress did not go unnoticed by FIBA president, Horacio Muratore.
In an interview granted to the official FIBA blog, Muratore spoke among others, on the performance of Nigeria and Senegal, paying glowing tributes to the D’Tigress, especially.
“One of the best story lines of this Women’s World Cup without a doubt will be that Africa proved it has some very good teams in Nigeria and Senegal.
“These are teams that can play against anyone and I congratulate both of them for their campaigns.
“Senegal had a historic win (against Latvia) and a great game against Spain (in quarterfinal qualifications). They made the tournament hosts tremble a bit. It would have been amazing for both African teams to reach the quarterfinals.
“Nigeria outplayed the USA – the reigning world champions – in the first half of their quarterfinal and got wins over Turkey, Argentina and Greece.
“This is extremely positive for African basketball and for the sport in general.”
At the club level, Rivers Hoopers, Nigeria champions, described the year as the best ever in the history of the club.
Hoopers for the first time won the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Championship early in December in Cotonou finishing with a 5-0 record.
Looking back on 2018, Ifie Ozaka, General Manager of the club labelled it a bitter-sweet experience for the Zone 3 Champions who played only two games all year, before the competition in Cotonou.
“I will describe 2018 as turbulent for the team. We didn’t play any competitive basketball till November where we had only two competitive matches, which qualified us for the FIBA qualifiers in Zone 3. From the turbulence of 2018 we are ending the season on a high. A turbulent season turned out to be our best season and highest point ever in the history of the club.”
Ozaka continued, “Playing a long league where players have to play many matches, where players get more allowances, where the fans of the team come out and watch the team play week in, week out that’s what I would have loved to do this season.
“Not playing a long league and not just the Kwese league wasn’t too good for my team and also fans of basketball in Port Harcourt.”
“I was very impressed with my boys. At the beginning of 2018 when we went out to recruit the couple of players we wanted I think we made very good choices in the transfer market.
“The players we brought in filled the gaps properly. I told them it’s been a long time I had a bunch of talented young men together as a team. A team I believe that can hold their own against any team in Nigeria so I was very impressed with their play judging that they have not had a long time together.
“They played a lot of physical sides and I say kudos to them and if we can keep them together for another season I am sure they will go on to do great things.”
Tonye Orabere
The National Sports Commission (NSC) says it will no longer pay athletes training grants in foreign currency.
The development came after sprinter, Kayinsola Ajayi, alleged foul play regarding the disbursement of training grants by the Commission.
Head of NSC’s Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board, Yusuf Alli, told Tidesports source on Friday that it was wrong of Ajayi to rubbish the good intention of the NSC, saying: “I have been in athletics for over 40 years now, and this current NSC Board, led by Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, has done what others could not do. So far, the NSC has spent over N200 million in payment of training grants for athletes ahead the 2026 Commonwealth Games and preparation for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”
The NSC sourced the money from the private sector. It has never happened before. “I expected the athletes to encourage the NSC so that it can do more instead of raising unnecessary alarm and making allegations that is capable of discouraging them (NSC) and even the sponsors. It takes good initiative and trust for sports administrators in Nigeria to convince sponsors to donate money for welfare of athletes,” he said.
Speaking further, Alli, whose long jump record of 8.27m set in 1989 (35 years ago) is still unbroken, said: “We have decided that henceforth, all payment of training grants will be in Naira. No more payment of grants in U.S. dollars. We are Nigerians, and everyone knows that the exchange rate is not stable. As at the time Ajayi got his money, the rate of dollars to Naira may have changed
“I expected him to make a call either to myself or anybody in the Elite Board, or even the NSC to find out what happened instead of resorting to such allegation.
“If we make payment in Naira, any athlete who wants to convert his or her money to any foreign currency can tell their people back home to do so. I am sure this will solve the problem. If anybody wants to know how much he is entitled to, he must first of all find out the category that he or she belongs to.”
Alli disclosed that coaches, who train the athletes would soon get their grant. “They train the athletes, and the NSC feel is it not proper to leave them out in payment of grants. We have compiled their names, and very soon, the coaches would get their money,” Alli stated.
The chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has directed that a minute’s silence be observed before kick-off at all Matchday 30 fixtures this weekend in honour of former Green Eagles captain Henry Nwosu, following the death of the former midfielder at the age of 62.
In a statement made available to Tidesports source on Saturday, the league body confirmed that the tribute would be held across all matches to recognise the contribution of the former international to Nigerian football.
Elegbeleye described Nwosu’s passing as both a personal loss and a painful moment for the country’s club football community.
Nwosu, who was the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja after a brief illness.
The former midfielder had reportedly spent several days in hospital receiving intensive care before his death.
Elegbeleye said the late footballer was more than a colleague within the sport, describing him as someone with whom he had maintained a long-standing personal relationship dating back to his time at the National Sports Commission.
He said the former national team star had remained supportive of him in various moments of his career, including when he was nominated for the Pitch Football Awards.
Reflecting on Nwosu’s legacy, the NPFL chairman said the news represented the loss of a major figure in Nigerian football, noting that the former midfielder distinguished himself not only at club level but also later contributed to the development of the domestic game as a coach.
Elegbeleye said the death of the former international was “the death of a true ambassador of the domestic and national team football because he not only made his mark as a player in league clubs, but he also coached some of the league clubs.”
He added that death remained a submission to the will of God and prayed for the repose of Nwosu’s soul while urging strength for his family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
Earlier confirmation of the former midfielder’s death came from former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami, who revealed that Nwosu died after spending five days in hospital. Odegbami said the former player passed away at about four o’clock in the morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment in intensive care.
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the conveyor of the news of the death of Henry Nwosu MON,” Odegbami said.
“After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at four o’clock this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been in intensive care since Wednesday. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in heaven”.
At the club level, the former international spent most of his career in Nigeria, starring for New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City and African Continental Bank FC of Lagos during a period when both sides were among the dominant forces in domestic football. His performances later earned him moves abroad, where he also played for ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast and Racing FC Bafoussam of Cameroon.
