Despite Nigeria’s cancellation of its self-imposed two years ban from international basketball, D’Tigress will not be able to play at the 2022 FIBA World Cup scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia, in September. This is because following Nigeria’s withdrawal from international basketball FIBA named Mali as a replacement Nigeria.
A member of D’Tigress who did not wish to be mentioned laments in an interview with ESPN describing the situation as “a nightmare that many of us are still trying to come to terms with,” adding that the players were “distraught and pained” by the actions of the officials costing them a place “after we worked so hard to qualify.”
Ike Diogu, captain of the men’s national team, D’Tigers said the ban could have been even more devastating for basketball in Nigeria. According to him, it would have threatened the men’s team’s qualification for the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics and risked an even longer ban from FIBA for government interference.
“It was very devastating to basketball in Nigeria,” Diogu told ESPN of the withdrawal. “The withdrawal was detrimental for us because I don’t think people really understand how hard it was for us to get to the point where we are now.
“It took 10, 12 years just to get to the point where we could compete. If we had got a 5-year ban [from FIBA], we would have to start all over again and there is no guarantee it would get right back to where it is now because there is a whole generation of young guys who would miss out on playing in these tournaments.”
Meanwhile, Diogu, who recently played for Zamalek at the Basketball Africa League, has opted to sit out international hoops this season regardless of the ban, and will rather play in the Big3 Tournament for Snoop Dogg’s team.