July 10, (THEWILL) – Plans are afoot to clear the kits and equipment donated to the Olympics Basketball contingent by Peak Milk based in China which, as THEWILL reported on Monday, were held up at the ports by the Nigerian Customs Service pending the payment of clearance fees amounting to N35 million.
The assurance of the progress being made to see that D’Tigers squad are delivered the gear they need for the Olympics was given by the Nigeria Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) with a promise that before the Games begin the matter will have been sorted and the consignment cleared from the Lagos seaport.
Clarifying the matter on behalf of the NBBF, Babs Ogunade, who is a board member of the Federation, said the delay was due to “a lack of documentation and miscommunication between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Sports”.
This was congruent with the Twitter thread from the official account of the NBBF on Saturday that ended with the promise of a swift resolution of the miscommunication and the imminent clearance of the donated items.
The tweets carried a direct quote from Musa Kida, President of the NBBF’s president, who allayed all concerns of any cog in the wheel of the preparations for the Games by revealing the work going on behind the scenes to resolve the clearance matter. The official account (@nbbfonline) quoted Kida as saying:
“The FG is aware of the situation, and they have stepped in and are in discussions with the relevant bodies. I can assure you that the Minister of Youth and Sports, Honourable Sunday Dare is in discussion with the Ministry of the Finance who is in charge of such waiver on Customs duties.
“The NBBF is an agency of the government, and it is expected that such a fee would not be a source of worry for us because if you look at what they are asking for and our financial capacity, there is no way we can raise such money on our own.
“Nigerians should focus on what the federation, coaching staff, and the players are doing right to get ready for the Olympics.”
As they prepare earnestly in the days leading up the commencement of the Games at their camp in the US, the teams, D’Tigers and D’Tigress, will not be available for the send-off ceremony at the Presidential Villa on Monday which THEWILL reported will involve the President handing over Team Nigeria to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).
Their inability to join their compatriots at the auspicious occasion, according to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, is largely due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions in force in America where they are camped. But, athletes that are available will represent the others at the occasion on Monday.
Before that however, D’Tigers will clash against reigning world and Olympic champions USA in an exhibition game in Las Vegas on Saturday to keep their fitness levels up, gain from the experience and offer coach Mike Brown a chance for a final pruning of his 15-man squad to 12 players required for the Olympics.
Brown, who is also the Associate Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors, will announce his final squad on July 17. Thereafter, D’Tigers will leave for Kizarazu city in Japan two days later for the Pre-Games training camp, before moving into the Olympics Village proper ahead of their Group B fixtures where they will play Italy, Germany and Australia.
Brown has not hidden his admiration for the Nigerian team he has put together for the Games. Their talents and passion have given him the confidence that the team will not be going to the Tokyo Olympics to add to the number because their goal is to make a mark with an unforgettable participation as they target a medal finish.
For their female counterparts, D’Tigress are scheduled to have a tough run from the onset. They are grouped alongside the USA, France and Japan, also in Group B of the women’s event in Tokyo.
Though the Olympics will commence on Friday, July 23 and continue until Sunday, August 8, the basketball event will begin on the third day.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
