The Nigerian female basketball team nicknamed D’Tigress has threatened to boycott the 2022 FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament over the refusal of the Basketball Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to meet their demands.
The team issued the threat in a video posted on microblogging site, Twitter; it outlined the injustices that have been allegedly perpetrated on them by the outgoing board of the NBBF, led by Musa Kida.
Speaking on behalf of the team in the video, a member of the D’Tigress, Victoria Macaulay said that the team does not feel appreciated or celebrated after recently achieving the historic feat of winning three straight African titles.
“First we want to thank the Nigerian Embassy in Cameroon for celebrating us. We appreciate you more than you know. Other than that, we do not feel appreciated or celebrated after achieving a historical feat. In 2017 we won the Afrobasketball championship and three days later we presented it to the father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari and his entire cabinet by the former ministry, Hon Solomon Dalung as customary with a handshake. We have defended our championship and brought back the Cup in 2019 and 2021 but it’s historical but no invitation has been extended to the team to visit Aso Rock or a Presidential handshake, Why?”
Also, another member of the team, Promise Amukamara, faulted the claims by the Kida-led NBBF that the team is not owed any monies.
“President of NBBF, Musa Kidi said that the Federation is not owing any players or officials allowances. This is far from the truth. The last time we checked, our allowances, bonuses , training grants and donations made by banks to players and officials and volunteers still have not been paid.”
Another member of the team, Ify Ibekwe, outlined the monies they are owed.
She said: “We are owed $73,118 by the NBBF, $24,000 by the Ministry for the Tokyo grant, and a $100,000 donation from three banks in Nigeria.”
For Ezinne Kalu, she stated that since their General Manager and Team Manager resigned, “they are being marginalised.”
She said “the outgoing president never really shows up in camp and competitions” to boost their morale and when they have significant issues that make him present, “he only provides vague answers like our concerns are not important to him.”
