South Africa denies Junior D’Tigers visas for tourney, NBBF cries foul

The Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), yesterday, accused the South African Embassy in Abuja of plots to stop the country from attending the AfroBasket Men’s U-18 Championship, which is the qualifying competition for the FIBA U-18 Men’s World Cup.

The championship started in Pretoria, South Africa, yesterday, with the Nigerian boys billed to face Egypt today. NBBF said that 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.”

NBBF’s Vice Chairman, Youth Development Committee, Ugo Udezue, who is already in Pretoria with the girls’ team, described the development as total sabotage.

“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 act of refusing the team visas seems like a deliberate attempt to stop the Junior D’Tigers as the South African Embassy in Lagos cleared the girls to travel and they are already in Pretoria, and set for their opening match against Egypt, on Tuesday.

“The girls were camped in Lagos on their return from Cote d’Ivoire, 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 NBBF said that it has complained to FIBA Africa, the South African organising committee, and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, adding that calls made by South African officials from Pretoria have made no