Joe
In a shocking turn of events, the Nigerian Under-18 Mens’ basketball team, the Junior D’Tigers, has been denied visas by the South African Consulate in Abuja PeakNews Online reports.
This action casts doubt on their participation in the AfroBasket Men’s U18 competition, which begins today in South Africa.
The team, scheduled to face Egypt in their opening match on Tuesday in Pretoria, is now stranded in Abuja, reeling from the unexpected setback. After rigorous training and preparation, the young players, who had recently returned from Abidjan, were left devastated, their dreams of competing on the global stage at the FIBA World Championship fading due to the visa denial.
Ugo Udezue, Vice Chairman of the Youth Development Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), expressed his dismay from Pretoria, where he is with the women’s team. He described the situation as “total sabotage.”
“It’s unfortunate that an African country needs a visa to travel to another African country,” Udezue said on Monday. “This goes against the spirit of sportsmanship. These kids have sacrificed so much, and now a visa consular officer has denied them the opportunity to represent Nigeria globally.”
Adding to the controversy, the South African Embassy in Lagos granted visas to the Nigerian girls’ team, who are already in Pretoria and set to play their opening match against Egypt today.
Both teams had been camped in Abuja and Lagos after their successful outing at the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers in Cote d’Ivoire.
The NBBF has lodged formal complaints with FIBA Africa, the South African hosts, and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. However, despite efforts by officials in Pretoria to resolve the issue, the situation remains dire for the Junior D’Tigers.
