The International Basketball Federation, FIBA, has replaced Nigeria’s female basketball team, the D’Tigress, with Mali for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 in Belgrade.
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This comes after President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the country from participating in all international basketball competitions and activities for a period of two years.
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Speaking in a statement on Thursday, June 2, FIBA said, “It has become evident that the NBBF is unable to guarantee its participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 due to the conditions created by the government’s decision.
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In subsequent communications with the NBBF, and despite FIBA’s request, it has become clear that against the circumstances created by the government’s decision, the NBBF is unable to confirm its participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022.
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Given the multiple strict deadlines that cannot be postponed in order to ensure the successful staging of a major international event (visa procedures, schedules, ticket sales, accommodations, friendly games, preliminary rosters, flight tickets, accreditations, and so on), the FIBA Executive Committee has decided Nigeria’s withdrawal from the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 is confirmed.
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Mali, as the next ranked team from Group B of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, is invited to compete in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.”
