NAN-S-11
Basketball
By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Lagos May 10, 2017 (NAN) Some basketball players and coaches have urged the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to get the national senior men’s team, D’Tigers, ready for the forthcoming FIBA Afrobasket 2017 scheduled for Angola.
Luanda, the Capital of Angola, will host the biennial event from Aug. 19 to Aug. 30 where Nigeria’s D’Tigers is expected to defend the title they won in 2015 in Tunisia.
Sixteen national teams, including the defending champions, Nigeria, will play at this flagship competition of African Basketball which over the years has proven to be the elite event in the game.
However, with the general elections into the NBBF offices scheduled tentatively for May 31, preparations ahead of the competition seem to have been put on hold.
The basketball enthusiasts told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the NBBF should put its house in order for the preparation of the national team.
Coach Sanni Ahmed of the Kano Pillars team told NAN that the senior national team must begin three months preparation ahead of the competition.
“We expect that players should have been in camp already ahead of the competition. We also expect that things should not be done in a hurry to get the players mentally ready.
“But, with the Sports Federations’ elections coming up later this month or early in June, when the camp is going to be called is yet to be ascertained.
“This, unfortunately, may affect the preparations and the outcome of the players when they get to Angola to defend their title in August,’’ Ahmed said.
Coach Ogoh Odaudu, a former Nigeria international and currently, the Head coach of Rivers Hoopers Basketball team of Port Harcourt, told NAN that preparations so far had been lackluster.
“I presume as defending champions we should have begun preparations earlier in January, where players would have the opportunity to blend properly.
“Unfortunately, the federation’s election is coming up in June and when a new board comes on, perhaps, a new structure will commence which could have effect on the team.
“It is sad, we have to go through this kind of situation again, we hope the national team would not be affected whatever is the outcome of the coming NBBF elections,’’ Odaudu said.
Chamberlain Oguchi, Nigeria’s star player and 2015 Most Valuable Player award winner at the Afrobasket Championship in Tunisia, on his Twitter handle advocated for the need to urgently call the players to camp for preparations ahead of the competition.
Oguchi said he was looking forward to flying the national flag and hoped that the NBBF would call players to camp soon to let the team get ready to defend their title.
Meanwhile, the organisers of the world basketball competition, FIBA, on Sunday night announced the qualifications battle ahead of the 2019 World Cup to hold in China.
Nigeria will battle in Group B against Uganda, Rwanda and Mali national teams ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
The qualification ceremony consisted of four regional draws for Africa, America, Europe and Asia.
Eighty national teams will be doing battles in the four regional draws where 31 countries will eventually qualify to join China, the host country.
The World Cup will hold from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15 in China in 2019.
Nigeria’s D’Tigers will begin their quest for a place in China when they play Uganda on Feb. 23, 2018.
D’Tigers will play their second game at home against visiting Rwanda on Feb. 24 and play away to Mali on Feb. 25 to round off first round qualifications.
The second round of qualifications will commence June 29, 2018, when Nigeria will welcome Uganda for the second leg battle, and play Rwanda and Mali on June 30 and July 1 respectively.
Other groups involving Africa include South Africa, Guinea, Cameroon and Tunisia competing in Group A.
Africa’s giant in basketball, Angola, Morocco, Egypt and Congo Democratic in Group C which is arguably the group of death.
Senegal, Mozambique, Cote D’Voire and a yet to be decided country constitute the teams in Group D.
The U.S. national team with five world championship titles is the defending champions of the elite competition following their victory over Serbia in Spain in 2014.
Senegal, for the first time in their history, advanced from the Group phase after surprising Puerto Rico (82-75) and then Croatia (77-75).
Gorgui Dieng, Africa’s powerful 2.11m center, played in his first tournament with the national team and led Senegal with average of 16 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
Nigeria have been to the World Cup competitions on two occasions — in 1998 edition held in Greece and finished in 13th position and also in the 2006 edition in Japan finishing 14th. (NAN)
BAO/IKU/PDE
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(Edited by Tayo Ikujuni/Peter Ejiofor)