Sports
FIBA U18 Afrobasket: South Africa Denies Nigeria’s U18 Basketball Team Visa
The South African Consulate in Abuja refused to grant visas to the male players, a decision confirmed by Ugo Udezue, Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Basketball Federation, in a statement on Tuesday.
EDITOR’S PICKS
-
Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Killing Neighbour’s 4-Year-Old Daughter
-
BREAKING: PDP Summons Wike Over Controversial Remarks Against Party Governors
-
UEFA To Honour Ronaldo For Record-Breaking Champions League Career
Expressing frustration over the lack of explanation, Udezue described the situation as an act of sabotage, putting Nigeria’s participation in jeopardy, especially as the tournament begins today with a match against Egypt.
The players, who had been training in Abuja after returning from Abidjan, are devastated as their hopes of competing in the FIBA World Championship are now in doubt.
“First of all, it’s rather unfortunate that an African country needs a visa to travel to another African country. Secondly, this is against the spirit of sportsmanship. These kids have sacrificed too much for a visa consular officer to deny them the opportunity to represent Nigeria globally,” Udezue said.
In contrast, the South African Embassy in Lagos approved visas for the girls’ team, who are currently in Pretoria for their match against Egypt.
FURTHER READING
-
Israeli Forces Unleash Major West Bank Offensive
-
FG Working on Steve Oronsaye Report – Gbajabiamila
-
BREAKING: Buhari, 70-Year-Old British, Others Arraigned for Alleged Plot to Overthrow Tinubu
Both teams had secured their spots in the tournament by winning the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers in Ivory Coast.
The Nigerian Basketball Federation has lodged complaints with FIBA Africa, the South African hosts, and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, but efforts to resolve the issue have been unsuccessful so far.
Click here to watch our video of the week:
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
