FIBA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS: Stop Being Uncharitable, Concerned Group Warns Supposed Basketball Board Members.

The current uninspiring comments by some supposed board members of the NBBF, on the Nigeria's Senior Male National basketball team, the D'Tigers’, chances of qualifying for the  2023 FIBA World Cup World Cup in Manila, the Philippines, due to their position on the log, has continued to elicit mixed reactions, with some concerned stakeholders truly unhappy about the unrealistic and unguarded comments. 

These board members and a few supposed stakeholders, came to the public square to make  mockeries of the efforts of the present board of the NBBF, in the face of a very difficult task handed down to the current board, when they were inaugurated by the Federal Ministry Of Youth And Sports Development in October, 2022, just few days to the 3rd Window qualifiers. And after the 1st two window qualifiers that took place before the crisis that engulfed the NBBF was resolved.

This has made a group of sports journalists, stakeholders and enthusiasts under the aegis of Friends of Nigeria Sports (FNS), to react to some of these recent comments credited to some members of the NBBF board, which the group described as uncharitable and misleading, despite knowing that it will only be a miracle for the team to qualify due to these reasons stated above. 

Participating in the qualifiers in itself was a miracle considering the fever pitch level that the NBBF crisis reached before issues were resolved. 

In a release signed by its National Coordinator, Chief Dipreiye Thompson, FNS stated that the present precarious position of the D'Tigers in the 2023 FIFA World Cup Qualifying series, is due to the crisis that the NBBF was plunged into after a hugely significant successes recorded in the last four years of the NBBF. 

"So, the unpatriotic actions and inactions of some of these members of the NBBF board can be likened to chickening out in the face of a difficult situation, that is neither their own creation nor that of any particular member of the board. 

"The group is not unaware of the nefarious activities and uncharitable position taken by some members of this present NBBF board and can be likened to the lamentations for sodom. 

FNS, also noted that while some genuine and critical stakeholders are truly sad to see how the fortunes of Nigeria basketball has taken a sad dip, arising from the NBBF crisis, others see it as a time to vilify the board and cast aspersions, which is truly unacceptable and unfortunate. 

"By the difficulties and the near impossible challenges ahead of D'Tigers to pick up a world cup ticket, after a poor start in the campaign, some unrepentant dissidents have continued to wish the team failure, so they can gleefully say, the present NBBF board led by Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, has failed, which amounts to giving a dog a very bad name just to hang it. This again, is being totally unpatriotic and divisive, to say the least."

Chief Thompson went on to advise all those making snide comments and wishing the team and the NBBF board to fail, to wipe away their crocodile tears. Adding that history will not forget their actions and inactions now, and in the future. He stated that all that happened in the NBBF are there for even the blind to see. He prayed that a thriving federation should not be brought down to its knees in future. 

"Let everyone remember that the successes and achievements of the NBBF, is not about Kida and a few concerned Board members  alone. It certainly has a resonating effect, just as, its ricochet would reach everyone on the board. And any member or stakeholder who decides to dance naked and wish the NBBF bad, will make himself or herself a laughing stock," he added in conclusion.