The Nigeria Under-18 boys’ basketball team has been refused visas to the 2024 FIBA Under-18 Afrobasket by the South African Consulate in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
This decision has placed Nigeria’s participation in the biennial basketball tournament, set to commence in South Africa, in jeopardy.
The players, who had prepared extensively in Abuja following their return from Abidjan, were left devastated and disheartened by this unexpected turn of events. They were scheduled to play Egypt in Pretoria, South Africa, this week.
The Vice Chairman of the Youth Development Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ugo Udezue, expressed profound shock and dismay upon learning of the development.
He highlighted the perils of requiring visas for travel between African countries and condemned the act as a violation of the spirit of sportsmanship.
He said, “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.”
The refusal of visas to the Nigerian boys’ basketball team stands in stark contrast to the clearance granted to the girls’ team by the South African Embassy in Lagos. The female players are already in Pretoria and poised for their opening match against Egypt.
Both teams had emerged as winners of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers and the NBBF had submitted the names of both teams in a single letter to the embassy.
In response to this development, the NBBF has lodged complaints with FIBA Africa, the South African hosts, and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, seeking redress. However, it appears that the efforts made by South African officials from Pretoria have not yielded the desired result, leaving the fate of the Nigeria Under-18 boys’ basketball team hanging in the balance.
