It has been confirmed that the Federation of International Basketball Association(FIBA) refused the overtures of the Federal Government three times to resolve the crises rocking the sport in Nigeria.
In separate letters dated 26, October, 12 November and 17 November, 2021, the Sports Minister Sunday Dare extended invitations to FIBA to visit the country and mediate the crises.
On October 26, 2021 in a letter addressed to the Secretary General of FIBA-Africa, Mr Andreas Zagklis, the Sports Minister noted that, “Nigeria as a country will be happy to receive and welcome a delegation from FIBA to look into the crisis in the NBBF, or recommend a possible solution and advice in resolving the crisis in the Federation.”
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This was followed up with another letter on 21 November, 2021 addressed to Mr Hamane Niang, President of FIBA in which Sunday Dare, the Sports Minister highlighted the following:
“I want to encourage FIBA to continue its correspondences with the Secretary General of the Federation in all matters, and would like to firmly assure you that Nigeria will continue to honour all her continental and International sporting commitments particularly its commitment with FIBA.
“Finally, I am extending once again the invitation which I made in the first and only letter to FIBA to urgently send to Nigeria its team to meet with the Basketball stakeholders. This I believe is standard practice and Nigeria Basketball must not be denied this opportunity.”
In the final letter of invitation to the FIBA President, Mr Hamane Niang dated 17 November, 2021, the Minister requested thus in his correspondence, “Finally, I once again extend my invitation to FIBA to visit Nigeria and mediate this situation at hand, or alternatively agree to a video conferencing meeting via Zoom at the earliest possible time.
“As it is with International best practices I strongly believe that FIBA will not deny Nigeria Basketball the opportunity of mediation in order to find a lasting solution to its current situation,” Dare stated.
These are very clear indications of the genuineness of the Federal Government’s intentions to ensure a lasting resolution of all the crises rocking basketball in Nigeria.
2 Comments
ok. this PR by the minister is coming a bit late, why did he not hold a press briefing informing the public of this efforts before now. but to think of it, why did the minister or the permanent Sec travel to FIBA headquaters and explain their situation since all effort to get them to come did not work. Abi we no get ambassador for the country of FIBA headquarters to go on his behalf. ok now this has happen , i think movind forward, they should arm themselves with this documents of correspondence and go to FIBA headquarters and explain their situation
Besides this should be done by the Nigerian basketball federation and not the sports minister anything other that is seen as government interference