‘Nigeria is its own biggest threat from progress’ — D’Tigers fume as D’Tigress get kicked out of World Cup

D’Tigers, the Nigerian men’s basketball team, has called for a “change” in the administration of basketball following FIBA’s decision to kick out D’Tigress from the 2022 World Cup.

On Thursday, FIBA confirmed that Nigeria would not participate in the upcoming 2022 Women’s World Cup due to the federal government’s decision to withdraw the country from competing in any international basketball competition for two years.

The world basketball governing body replaced the D’Tigress with Mali and hinted at further sanctions on Nigeria in the long term.

Reacting to the news  via its Twitter page, D’Tigers described Nigeria as its “biggest threat from progress.”

It said Nigeria got to the continental game’s pinnacle because of the players and staff who “put their blood, sweat, and tears into their work” and not due to the efforts of administrators.

“Nigeria is the best basketball country in Africa. This didn’t happen because of our leaders,” the tweet read.

“It happened because of the players and staff who put their blood, sweat, & tears into their work. Nigeria’s biggest threat from progress is Nigeria. We need change.”

The fiasco began last month after Sunday Dare, minister of sports and youth development, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had agreed to the two-year ban, which is part of efforts by the government to revamp the sport from the grassroots.

The move came amid the ongoing power tussle within the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

TheCable had reported in January that two different presidents were elected to oversee the affairs of the basketball federation.