Everything You Need To Know About The Leadership Tussle That Led To D’Tigress’ Exit From Basketball World Cup
On Thursday, June 2, 2022, FIBA kicked Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress, out of the Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022. The governing body also invited Mali as the next ranked team from the Group B qualifier to replace Nigeria.
This was in reaction to the decision of the Nigerian government to withdraw its teams from all international basketball competitions and activities for two years announced on May 12.
The reason for Nigeria’s withdrawal from all basketball competitions for two years, according to a statement by the ministry of youth and sports on May 12, 2022, was due to the leadership tussle rocking the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF)
Two persons, Musa Kida and Igoche Mark are laying claim to the NBBF presidency after they were both elected in parallel elections that took place on January 21, 2022.
Musa Kida was initially elected NBBF president in June 2017. He ran for reelection in 2022 and won in an election conducted in Benin. His presidency was recognised by the world governing body, FIBA on March 7.
On the day Kida was elected, another election was conducted in Abuja which produced Igoche Mark as president. The committee claimed the election was in line with the Ministry of Youth and Sports development’s directive led by Sunday Dare.
With both parties laying claim to the leadership of the NBBF, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Ministry of Youth and Sports to set up an interim management committee and Nigeria’s withdrawal from all international basketball activities for two years.
This led to FIBA kicking Nigeria out of the women’s world cup set to take place in September in Australia despite Nigeria beating France and Mali to qualify for the competition.
FIBA also said it “will announce whether there will be any other decisions related to the NBBF’s participation in other FIBA competitions and any potential disciplinary measures in due course.”
Enitan Obadina, Sports journalist told Neusroom that the two year withdrawal from basketball activities will set Nigeria back in the progress made over the years. He called for caution considering the current administration has less than a year in office.
“It’s the first reality for what is in stock for Nigerian sports and basketball at large. The two years withdrawal of the country from international basketball will set us back for nothing less than 5 years because of the unique qualification system of basketball. The decision paints us as an un-serious country and it’s surprising because the initiator of the decision has less than a year to see out his tenure, yet he is planning for two years that he won’t see through.”
Queen Moseph, a broadcast journalist and basketball writer described it on Twitter as a mess. She wrote: “It is official no international basketball for 4 or 6 years because FIBA will definitely add their own ban to our own 2 years.”
