Junior D’Tigers’ participation in the 2024 U-18 Afrobasket tourney is in jeopardy after the South African consulate in Abuja denied the team visa to travel for the competition.
This decision has jeopardised Nigeria’s trip to the biennial tournament starting in South Africa on Tuesday (today), with Nigeria billed to face Egypt in Pretoria later in the day.
The players, who trained and camped in Abuja on return from Abidjan, are in total shock, tears, and pain as they watch their dreams of being at the FIBA World Championship fade on account of the South Africans denying them entry.
Ugo Udezue, vice chairman of the Nigeria Basketball Federation‘s youth development committee, said the South African consulate’s action is “against the spirit of sportsmanship.”
“First of all, it is rather unfortunate that an African country needs a visa to travel to another country. But this visa denial is against the spirit of sportsmanship,” Udezue said.
“These kids have sacrificed too much to be denied the opportunity to represent Nigeria globally,” he added.
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Meanwhile, the South African embassy in Lagos gave visas to the Nigerian junior female basketball team, whose players are already in Pretoria and set for their opening match against Egypt on Monday.
The girls had also camped in Lagos on their return from Abidjan, where both teams finished as winners of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers.
The NBBF sent the names of the boys and girls in a single letter to the embassy.
The federation has complained to FIBA Africa, the South African hosts, and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry after the South African officials’ calls from Pretoria on Tuesday did not impact the situation.
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