Basketballghana.com can confirm Mali will represent Africa at the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in spite of Nigeria’s reversal of a ban on competing in international basketball tournaments according to ESPN.
Nigeria’s Sports Ministry confirmed a two year ban on participation in international basketball tournaments to aid the Ministry solve a leadership crisis that has hampered growth of the sport.
However, the ban was overturned recently and Nigerian Basketball Federation President Musa Kida and his elected board was finally recognized legally by the Ministry paving the way for Nigeria to end the ban and get back into the international basketball fray.
The National Men’s Basketball Team-D’Tigers-has called up 12 players to camp to commence preparations to play in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.
Unfortunately, the ban wasn’t lifted in time to reverse basketball world governing body FIBA’s decision to replace Nigeria’s Women’s Team-D’Tigress-with Mali to represent Africa in Australia.
Mali won silver at the 2021 AfroBasket Championship falling to Nigeria but the winners will miss out on the grand tournament. Nigeria won its third AfroBasket title in a row in 2021.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
