By Anayo Blessing Mercy
The Federal Government, on Thursday, announced the withdrawal of Nigeria from all international basketball competitions for a period of two years due to the unending crisis which have plaqued and nearly destroyed the development of the sport in the country.
In a briefing in Abuja, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare announced the development, saying President Muhammadu Buhari approved the directive.
Dare, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ismaila Abubakar noted that the withdrawal of Nigeria is in order to concentrate efforts by the government towards revamping basketball from the grassroots as well as domestic leagues which have become moribund.
“This will also allow for the setting up of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to oversee the management and development of the domestic basketball leagues in Nigeria,” he said.
The Minister, however, called on players, officials, fans, and other stakeholders of the sport to remain calm as the government embarks on progressive initiatives to reposition, maintain, stabilize the game of basketball for change and feasible growth in the long run.
In the last five years, the Nigerian Basketball Federal (NBBF) has been plaqued in a leadership crisis, leading to the conduct of two parallel national federal elections and subsequent emergence of separate governing bodies.
