The Nigeria U-18 boys’ basketball team’s journey to the 2024 FIBA U18 Afrobasket has hit a major roadblock after the South African Consulate in Abuja denied them visas.
According to The PUNCH, this decision has cast a shadow over Nigeria’s participation in the tournament, set to begin in South Africa on Tuesday.
The team was scheduled to face Egypt in their opening game in Pretoria.
The young players, who had been training and camping in Abuja following their return from Abidjan, are left devastated by the consulate’s decision.
Their hopes of competing on the world stage at the FIBA World Championship have been dashed, leading to an outpouring of shock, tears, and anguish among the team members.
Ugo Udezue, the Vice Chairman of the Youth Development Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation who had already traveled to Pretoria with the first team, expressed his disbelief when he learned of the situation. He described the consulate’s decision as an act of sabotage.
Udezue remarked, “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 boys’ team appears particularly troubling given that the South African Embassy in Lagos had cleared the girls’ team to travel.
The girls’ team, who were also camped in Lagos after returning from the Ivory Coast, are already in Pretoria and set to play their first match against Egypt.
Both teams had secured their spots at the FIBA U18 Afrobasket after emerging victorious in the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers.
The NBBF had submitted the names of both the boys’ and girls’ teams in a single letter to the embassy, making the consulate’s decision even more perplexing.
In response to the visa denial, the NBBF has lodged complaints with FIBA Africa, the South African hosts, and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Despite efforts to resolve the issue, including calls from South African officials in Pretoria, the situation remains unresolved, leaving the fate of the Junior D’Tigers hanging in the balance.
