Board Members Fume As NBBF Fails To Inaugurate LOC Ahead Olympic Qualifiers

Board Members Fume As NBBF Fails To Inaugurate LOC Ahead Olympic Qualifiers

By Niyi Busari

Some of the board members of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) have stated that plans to fail to host a successful FIBA 2023 Pre-Olympic Qualifier will be met by strict rejection, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The Board members have in one voice stated their dissatisfaction as the federation is yet to inaugurate the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for a smooth hosting of the 2023 FIBA Africa Pre-Olympic Qualifier with just two weeks to the commencement of the competition.

Nigeria has been given the go ahead to host the 2023 FIBA Africa Pre-Olympic Qualifier by FIBA. The competition which will be held at the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos will commence on August 14, 2023.

Some of the board members who spoke on condition of anonymity with www.bsnsports.com.ng warned the NBBF president, Eng. Musa Kida to quickly inaugurate the LOC members for appropriate hosting. They added that failure to submit the names of the Committee before the Board for approval and inauguration of same is a signal for adequate preparation for failure and can't be watching Nigeria to be disgraced before the world. To prevent Nigeria from the embarrassment, the board members urged the president to do needful as soon as possible.

"We (Board members) have not heard anything about preparations for hosting of 2023 FIBA Africa Pre-Olympic Qualifier with just two weeks to the championship. Our fears is that, the country may be embarrassed if we fail to put up a befitting hosting of the international competition. And we can't fold our hands and see the country be put to shame.

"No name has been submitted, and no committee including the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has been inaugurated with just few days to the commencement of the competition and that to me is a signal for failure." The unhappy board member said.

"To start with, not carrying the Board along while carrying out critical decisions like the hosting of FIBA Africa Pre-Olympic Qualifier is against the constitution." Another board member stated.

"NBBF is not a personal empire and should not be treated as such. The earlier we get it right, the better for us and Nigeria basketball." He added.

The FIBA Central Board meeting holding in Manila, the Philippines named Lagos as one of the five host cities for this summer’s event aimed at giving 40 countries that did not make it to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 hope of still reaching the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

By winning a Pre-Qualifying Tournament, a country would then take part in one of next year’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, with the winners of those clinching spots in Paris.

In Africa, the Group Phase and Final Phase of the tournament will be played in Lagos, Nigeria with Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and host Nigeria battling it out while in the Americas, Argentina will host both the Group Phase and Final Phase in a city to be confirmed.

For teams in Europe, the 1st tournament, Group Phase and Final Phase will hold in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2nd tournament: Poland and EstoniaGroup Phase: Gliwice (POL) and Tallinn (EST) Final Phase: Gliwice (POL) The host of the tournament in Asia will be confirmed at a later date.

The FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments is scheduled for August 2023.

The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will produce seven directly qualified national teams for the Olympic Games, with hosts* France receiving automatic qualification to the event. The seven spots will include two teams from Americas, two teams from Europe, one team from Africa, one team from Asia and one team from Oceania. 

The four remaining places in the 12-team Olympic field are reserved for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024, with two rounds of Qualifying Tournaments for Paris 2024.

Twenty-four teams will be participating in four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments with the 3 highest placed teams from Africa, Americas, and Asia/Oceania will be selected before the 16 highest placed teams from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, and five teams through the pre-qualifying tournaments. The winner of each tournament will qualify for the Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.