Our Sports Correspondent
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has raised concerns over the refusal of the South African Consulate in Abuja to grant visas to Nigeria's U-18 male basketball team, the J'Tigers.
The team was scheduled to participate in the FIBA Africa World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa, a critical tournament to determine Africa's representatives at the U-18 World Cup.
The NBBF expressed frustration and embarrassment over the consulate's actions, calling it a violation of the global principles of fair play.
Efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the visas were unsuccessful, further exacerbating the situation.
In a seemingly contradictory move, the South African Consulate in Lagos had previously approved visas for the J'Tigress, Nigeria's female basketball team, who are already in South Africa for their own competitions.
This discrepancy has raised suspicions of a deliberate effort to hinder the J'Tigers' participation.
The J'Tigers are scheduled to begin their campaign on Wednesday, September 4th, with a match against Egypt, followed by games against Angola and Uganda.
