The Head Coach of Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress, Otis Hughley, has accused the Minister of Sport, Sunday Dare, of misleading him from his first day in charge.
The well-grounded coach revealed this in an interview published by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).
Hughley also faulted the decision of the Federal Government to suspend basketball activities in the country for two years, adding that despite all he has done in his time in charge, he is being owed salaries for the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying tournament in Serbia, held in February 2022, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The former Sacramento Kings assistant coach told Queen Moseph exclusively: “I have not heard anything because there has been promises that has not been met so I am just tired of dealing with it.
“The minister has misled me from day one.
“He said he was going to do several things and he has not done it.
“His office is misrepresented they promised to do things time after time I can’t deal with that any more.
“I spoke to the minister in Serbia and he assured me he will look into it and word got back to me from the ministry by someone in his office that he has approved a payment way below my market value and I agreed because I love what I did with the girls.
“I think they exploited my loyalty to those girls they exploited those girls and exploited those young men (D’Tigers) by allowing them compete in international competition and not doing right by that in the name of where they will end up in the future they destroyed it right now.
“What they have done to these girls and want to invest in grassroots is absurd.
“First of all, you can do that while playing international competition. International competitions is what inspire a lot of the grassroots from the beginning to want to play the game.
“You achieve this great achievement that every country in the world that participate in basketball and just because of selfishness, because of greed or is it because of 1.6 billion Naira that was approved for the world cup?
“What are you going to do with all that money?
“Give it to grassroots?
“What you have not done before you are not going to do it so why would you start doing that now?
“I am so frustrated and tired of one of the most talented countries with really good people always getting trampled on.
“When the two elephants fight, the grass gets destroyed and that is what is happening to the basketball community it is getting destroyed by those utilising their athletes, athletic teams as cash cows as opportunity to make money.
“I thought the minister was different but it seems like he may not be.”