July 05, (THEWILL) – Government support for the Nigerian contingent to represent the country at the Summer Olympics has not been as consistent as the athletes themselves could have expected but there has been nothing as discouraging as the alleged attitude of the Nigerian Customs Service.
According to an official of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), the Customs has asked them to part with the pricey sum of N35 million to clear kits and other sports equipment, which are currently held at the Lagos seaport by Customs but which were donated to the Nigerian basketball teams to aid their smooth participation at the Games.
Coming less than three weeks to the actual commencement of the Games in Tokyo, Japan, the inability of the Federation to cough out that amount has meant that the male and female basketball squads going to Japan are devoid of the necessary kits and equipment for their participation.
This is against the fact that three whole months ago, owing to the generosity of Peak Milk based in China, these kits and equipment had arrived in the country, needing only to be cleared and made available to the contingent preparing for their events at the Basketball courts of the Olympics.
The seeming unconscionable actions of the Customs negates the position of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, who has not spared any opportunity to claim that Team Nigeria was properly motivated to perform well in Tokyo because, according to the Federation official, this is demotivating.
The official said: “These sports equipment are donations from Peak Milk in China and it actually arrived in Lagos about three months ago.
“The Nigerian Customs Service said we should pay N35 million to clear them. We wrote for a waiver to the Ministry of Finance through the Sports Ministry, but nothing has come out of it. As I said, the sports equipment was a donation from Peak Milk in China and we even forwarded the letter written by the company to the Customs, but they won’t listen to us.
“Where did they expect us to get such huge amount of money to clear the Kits? Beside, it was a donation to us and the Custom Service should understand us. Our players need the kits at the Tokyo Olympics.”
To corroborate the position of the Federation, the Nigerian Olympics Committee (NOC) has also attempted to intervene without much success. Their pleas with the Nigerian Customs Services to show some level of understanding by releasing the equipment to the NBBF to enable the players have good appearance in Tokyo have not yielded fruit.
An official from the NOC added: “Since the sports equipment is a donation from Peak Milk in China, I expect the Customs Services to show some level of understanding in this matter.
“The players need the kits and other equipment to be in good mood and represent Nigeria well in Tokyo. The Olympics Games will begin on July 23, and there is no money to start running around to purchase new set of kits for the players.”
THEWILL calls on the Sports Minister to liaise with his counterparts in government as a demonstration of his words to do everything involved to see that the equipment is released forthwith for the male and female basketballers of Team Nigeria to have the available kits and equipment to prosecute a proper representation of the country in Tokyo.
It is notable that without a football contingent at the Games, sports fans are looking up to D’Tigers and D’Tigress teams to provide entertainment and an avenue to cheer and celebrate next month along with the events in the track and field. Leaving the players without these equipment will not augur well for motivation.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
