Nigeria’s senior male basketball team, D’Tigers, has announced its withdrawal from the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers citing insufficient funds. This decision was conveyed through the team’s official communication channel, X (formerly Twitter), on Wednesday evening.
Despite the commitment of several 2020 Olympians, D’Tigers will not be participating in the qualifiers, effectively forfeiting the opportunity to compete in the upcoming AfroBasket Qualifiers window. The team, drawn in Group B alongside Uganda, Cape Verde, and Libya, will not be able to partake in the first window of the qualifiers scheduled to commence in Tunisia this Friday.
The 2025 AfroBasket qualification process, spanning from February to November 2024, serves as the pathway for 16 nations to secure berths in the FIBA AfroBasket 2025 tournament. Nigeria’s absence from these qualifiers marks a setback for the team, which previously clinched the AfroBasket title in 2015.
Despite the eagerness of players and the national basketball community, the inability to secure sufficient funding from the government has forced D’Tigers to withdraw from the competition.
D’Tigers’ withdrawal shows the critical role of funding in sustaining Nigeria’s presence and competitiveness in international basketball. As preparations for the AfroBasket qualifiers intensify, the absence of one of Africa’s basketball powerhouses will be keenly felt.
The team’s decision highlights the need for enhanced support mechanisms to ensure that Nigeria’s sporting aspirations are not hampered by financial constraints.
IMAGE: Afrosports
