“Nigeria is due to participate in the Fiba 2023 Basketball World Cup (FBWC23) qualifiers and 2022 Women’s Basketball World Cup,” Fiba said in a letter addressed to the NBBF president Musa Kida.
“Any withdrawal of Nigeria from the competitions will trigger potential disciplinary sanctions as per the Fiba internal regulations.
“Furthermore, if the absence of Nigeria from international competitions for the next two years materialises, the consequences may spread out well past such a two-year period.
“For example, please note that the withdrawal from the FBWC23 qualifiers is also a withdrawal from the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification process.
“Similarly, depending on third-party results, the same situation could apply with respect to Fiba AfroBasket 2025.”
Despite the warning from Fiba last week of possible sanctions, the Nigerian sports ministry went ahead and installed its 10-person interim committee.
Players from D’Tigress, the women’s national team, oppose the withdrawal from competitions, saying the decision takes away the team’s goal to “elevate, inspire, and make Nigeria proud”., external