The Nigeria Basketball Federation on Tuesday kick started the preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with the release of a 27-man preliminary team list for the men’s national team pre-tournament training camp in Los Angeles, USA, allaying fears over release of fund for the tournament.
The President of the federation, Tijjani Umar, who equally released its programme ahead of preparations for the games in Abuja, further disclosed that the home-based players will open the camp on June 27, while their foreign-based counterparts would join the camp July 1, ahead of the Stamkovic Cup, which holds from July 5 to 10 in China.
While unveiling the list in a media parley, Umar disclosed that the federation has also sealed four friendly matches for the D’Tigers as part of their preparations for the Olympic Games, adding that the team will play a two-legged game against Australia in Melbourne on July 13 and 15 before returning to Las Vegas where they will play series of matches against Argentina, China, Brazil and USA before moving finally to Brazil for the tournament on August 2.
The NBBF boss equally used the opportunity to allay fears over the release of fund for the teams camping in USA, adding that it has had a detailed meeting with the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Solomon Dalung, who has assured the federation of prompt release of fund ahead of the camping.
He said: “We have had a detailed meeting with the minister and he has assured of adequate and prompt release of fund for the camping once the budget is signed into law.
“This is an Olympics training camp and I know that there is money approved for all the federations that have qualified for the Olympics. So, I believe that funding for the camping exercise will not pose any problem.”
The NBBF also released the list of 25 female players who have been invited for preliminary selections for the FIBA Women’s qualifying tournament in France, revealing that the women team training camp will open in Abuja on May 15, ahead of the two international friendly matches against the Turkish women national teams on May 27 and 28.
Revealing that there will be another friendly match against Argentina on June 8 and 9 before moving in to Nantes, France for the tournament, the NBBF boss unveiled the list of D’Tigers players for USA camping.
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