Female
National Team Still Stranded
By Julu M. Johnson, Jr.
The usual “no money” syndrome is standing in the way of the expected
participation of the national female basketball team of Liberia in the
African Women Championship in Nigeria.
Faced with the task of generating close to 45,000 United States
dollars, the national female team has until Wednesday to depart the
country.
Basketball authorities are so much worried that Liberia’s absence
could hamper the nation so much that there could be additional fine in
the presence of an existing US$3,000.00 debt. They said Liberia stands
the chance of a debt waiver if the country participates.
The situation prompted the intervention of the former soccer star
Jonathan Sogbie alias Boye Charles, who is so connected to the
President-elect Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
In the presence of the playing body and officials at the Sports
Commission, Boye Charles made several attempts to find a solution by
making phone calls to influential people.
At the end of the day, he promised to get in touch with the Speaker of
the House of Representative, George Koukou for the two to prevail on
the head of state, Gyude Bryant to rescue the stranded but
enthusiastic females.
The Secretary-General of the Liberia Basketball Federation (LBF) Fred
J.A. Pratt on Monday confirmed that the Minister of Youth and Sports
Counsellor Wheatonia Dixon-Barnes told him that government did not
have money to facilitate the team’s travel.
The Liberian basketball official has been appealing to government and
business institutions to assist the team as it would be the first time
since the war that the female team would be participating in an event
abroad but there is yet to a suitable result.
“We are crying because the players have been practicing and we don’t
want their effort to go in vain. We will be fined if we fail to
participate,” Pratt pleaded.
He stated that the participation could mean a lot for Liberia as the
LBF intends to negotiate with its counterparts for the covering of the
Sports Commission on Broad Street.
As the uncertainty surrounding the team’s trip looms, the
Secretary-General of the National Basketball Federation, Segun
Akinlotan has through e-mail sent to the LBF quoted the chairman of
the Local Organizing Committee of the 19th African Nations
Championship in Abuja as requesting FIBA-Africa to inform
participating countries to forward urgently to the LOC Secretariat
official list of their teams.
He said that the team’s list should include all the players and
accompanying officials and hotel room pairing. Moreover, Mr. Akinlotan
made it known that the venue of the championship is the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja. He added that countries are to send
to the LOC their arrival date and port of entry.
The Liberian national female basketball team was selected among the
best placed second in the ranking of the teams following the
preliminaries held within zones.
In a communication addressed to the LBF president by Secretary-General
Alphonse Bile, FIBA-Africa said that Liberia was qualified for the
final round of the 19th African Nations Cup for Women to be held from
21st to 29th December, 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria. The group also said
that the Liberian squad would play as the substitute of the Zone 6
representative.
The draw for the championship was held last month with Liberia placed
in Group A along side Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Cape Verde.
Group B comprises Angola, Mozambique, Niger, DR Congo, Algeria and
Gabon.
The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the semi
finals directly.
The host Nigeria will spend 151 million naira (US$1.16 million) to
host the event.
The top teams will compete in the 2006 World Basketball Championship
in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Already qualified along with the host are
Argentina, Canada, Cuba, China, Korea, Lithuania, Spain, Russia and
Australia. The draw for the FIBA World Championship is scheduled for
January 31, 2006 in Sao Paulo.
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