FIBA May Hammer Nigeria over NBBF Crisis

Unless elections are conducted into the board of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) before November 30, Nigeria is likely going to banned by the game’s ruling body, FIBA.

FIBA in a letter to NBBF has warned that Nigeria would be hammered if it fails to conduct election by November 30.

FIBA also frowned at the interference of the Federal Ministry of youth and Sports Development in the affairs of the federation.

The ministry has since taken over the running of the basketball federation, and is even planning to host the men’s league to pick the country’s representative in continental basketball championships.

An Insider in NBBF confirmed at the weekend that FIBA was no longer interested in coming to Nigeria over this lingering dispute.

“They (FIBA) are not interested in coming despite pleas from the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC)” observed the source.

The Nigerian Olympic body had in a November 11 letter signed by its scribe, Banji Oladapo, pleaded with FIBA to send a delegation to Nigeria before the NBBF election.

The immediate repercussion of Nigeria’s ban will be the exclusion of the country from the Basketball World Cup.