Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), FCT chapter, has called on the Federal Government to immediately apologise to the senior national women basketball team, D’Tigress.
In a communiqué issued shortly after its congress on Thursday, the sports writers also asked the government to compensate the team due to the ban on the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) which will prevent D’Tigress from participating in the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Although the ban has been lifted, the association noted that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development made the players to suffer losses.
”They were responsible for the team’s non-participation at the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup, through the two-year withdrawal of Nigeria from international basketball which was later overturned,” the communiqué read.
The ban robbed the team of participation at the World Cup which begins later this month, with Mali being drafted in to replace Nigeria and represent Africa.
The communiqué was signed by the drafting committee put in place for the congress, comprising Niyi Busari, Samuel Ejegwa and Calister Enegele.
In the communiqué, FCT SWAN also lauded the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on Nigeria’s participation in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
It said the support and encouragement given to athletes who represented Nigeria at the 2022 Commonwealth Games helped in recording great successes.
“It was an outing which in the long run came to be rated as Nigeria’s best since the inception of the Games,” FCT SWAN said.
The association further congratulated the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for not elongating the tenure of the incumbent executive committee members.
“By setting up the apparatus for elections to hold on September 30, the NFF deserves commendation,” FCT SWAN stated.
