Why Basketball Players Stage Protest In Abuja - Players Representative

Why Basketball Players Stage Protest In Abuja - Players Representative By Niyi Busari Newly elected Nigeria Basketball Players Representative, Stanley Gumut has called on the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare to wade into the crisis rocking the Nigeria basketball, so that the domestic League can return for players to get busy again. Gumut speaking with BSN Sports in Abuja pointed out that the Chairman Caretaker Committee of NBBF, Musa Kida has no right presiding over Congress let alone the elections urging the stakeholders, the NOC and the Minister to do the right thing and allow peace return back to the game In his words, "I am calling the necessary Committees, stakeholders, Nigeria Olympic Committee and Minister to please come to the aid of these players and basketball, so that they make sure that the right thing is done. He added, "Bring all the stakeholders together, let the congress be heralded by the NOC, they are supposed to be the highest body in Nigeria in terms of sports, and as such let them conduct that and whatever decisions that is taken in that meeting not by any person but NOC come in and run a congress, we are tired of staying at home, we want to play basketball. Let have something sustainable for the Nigeria basketball and that can only be achieved if we have a transparent process of doing things." No fewer than 100 Nigeria basketball players gathered in Abuja on Thursday staging protest, themed, "#KidaMustGo" over the former president describing them 'thugs' after the Players Representative election in Abuja. To this end, the players demanded that he should resign and not capable to return back as NBBF president. Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports Sunday Dare has stepped into the crisis by inviting both factions (Kida and TJ Umar) to a peace meeting slated for Monday next week. This is aimed at making bringing a lasting peace to crisis.