By Ishola Owolabi
The President of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, has continued to receive praises from sports enthusiasts and concerned stakeholders, on his continued financial supports for the various national basketball teams.
Despite the continuous outcry over the paucity of funds from the Sports Ministry for the NBBF to effectively execute several of its outlayed programmes, Kida has continued to ensure the various national basketball teams continued to participate in different continental championships, and his selflessness has saved the country so much embarrassing moments on the international stage.
Groups and individuals who are keen followers of the game in Nigeria have commended and described Kida’s ceaseless supports as ‘selfless and patriotic’.
In order to have smooth and seamless execution of its programmes, it was gathered from a good source, that the federation through its Secretary-General has appealed to NBBF board members to contribute and make donations that would help the board take care of the programmes, particularly, to kickstart the camp for the U16 male and female teams for the African U17 World Cup qualifiers, slated to hold in Tunisia.
Nigerian under 16 male and female teams of the Nigerian basketball federation may pullout of the finals of the African under 17 World Cup qualifiers in Tunisia as funds have not yet been secured for the camping of the players who were billed to be in Tunisia by the 11th of July 2023.
Unfortunately, the plea by the NBBF to its board members seem to have fallen on deaf ears. And with the Sports Ministry, yet to give any financial support to the board, there’s imminent danger that the young lads might miss the trips to Tunisia.
Reliable sources within the board are angered and miffed that even the most senior member on the board and who is the President of FIBA Zone 3 has never contributed to any of these appeals
since the inception of the board in 2022. And he is alleged to be hounding the NBFF President to continue spending his personal finances to sponsor “board members”, on trips that will only end up costing the president extra looses financially.
The government is yet to release any monies to the NBBF since the beginning of 2023 ,all expenses till date have been borne by the NBBF president and a couple of board members who are desirous to see the country do well, and give the players the opportunities to develop and improve their lives.
Meanwhile, keen observers of the happenings in the federation are making a clarion call for help to the government, and particularly, Col. Sam Ahmedu, who is the President of FIBA Zone 3, to support the federation financially, as the future of 24 young players maybe truncated due to paucity of funding to participate in the FIBA U16 World Cup qualifiers in Tunisia.
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