NBBF President, Igoche Mark Reistates Commitment To Reposition Nigeria Basketball

NBBF President, Igoche Mark Reistates Commitment To Reposition Nigeria Basketball

By Niyi Busari

The President of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Igoche Mark has stated that giving a facelift to Nigerian basketball Is the major reason he contested and emerged as the Federation President. 

Mark in a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday afternoon said before he developed interest to lead NBBF, the Nigerian basketball players had met to table their demands after staying idle without playing in the domestic leagues for over five years. He added that many basketball players in Nigeria have been forced into untimely retirement following the non-existence of the league and when there was any, it was held Bob a weekly tournament which according to him is not enough to keep them fit and contest the National team jersey with their foreign counterparts.

He said his emergence as the President will change the narrative, assuring that players better welfare. To start with, Igoche said he has asked the NBBF General Secretary to furnish the Federation with details of the amount the NBBF under factional President, Eng Musa Kida is owing D'Tigress to settle the debt for the Women national to focus on their next assignment.

He said before the end of second quarter 2022, the board of NBBF will harmonise and roll out full programmes for NBBF.

He is yet to know why FIBA are bent on conniving with few “desperate individuals” to bring down the development of basketball in Nigeria.

“I want to liken what is happening to NBBF to what happened in the NFF few years ago, where some individuals will stay in a place and manufacture Letters in the name of FIFA.

“Every International ordinarily has official means of communicating the local federations in various countries. How can FIBA instead of communicating Nigeria through NBBF secretariat, the Ministry and the Nigeria Olympic Committee choose to pass information through an individual’s email address.

“All of these will certainly have effects on FIBA in times to come. With the way FIBA has gone to play into the Politics of Nigeria basketball, its integrity is seriously affected,” he said.

"I have asked the NBBF Secretary General to furnish us with the details of the amount the federation under former President Eng Musa Kida is owing D'Tigress, so that We can settle them to be able to gain back the confidence they have in Nigeria.

The Chairman, Kaduna State Basketball Association, Scambo Morrison accused FIBA of fueling crisis in Nigeria basketball. Comparing what happened in 2017, Scambo recalled the role FIBA played in the emergence of Musa Kida led board when the said election was conducted in hotel in Abuja without the presence of FIBA representative, Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) and many basketball stakeholders and was given credence by FIBA over election conducted in Kano by the then incumbent NBBF President, Tijjani Umar.

Also speaking, the players’ representative on NBBF board, Stanley Gumut, said with the coming of the current NBBF President, players have already seen sign of better things ahead.

He said, “With the ongoing Mark D Ball competition sponsored by just an individual, each player and coach makes N7000 and N10000 respectively every matchday."