All the clubs preparing for the 2022 Final Eight Basketball League have been pushed off the cliff after being told by the Nigeria Basketball Federation the competition would no longer hold. The NBBF after months of foot dragging had inform the participating clubs that the Final Eight for the Atlantic and Savannah conference will hold at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin City, starting November 28, but just when the clubs are gathering materials and putting their players in competition mood, the federation disclosed Friday, the competition would no longer hold. saying a new date will be communicated to the clubs. This threw the players and their coaches off balance and some have accused the NBBF of systematically killing local league contests by its seeming lack of commitment to keep the game going. “This year the NBBF on its own has not organised any competition,” said a basketball official “What we have so far are the DK Olukoya, Sam Oguche and Bullet tournaments and so what do we have the NBBF for? They didn’t give the clubs any reason for the cancellation. “It is from the final eight the Nigeria’s representative for the FIBA Afrique club championships is to emerge, now we don’t have this competition so what next?” When he was called on the phone to give reason for the cancellation, the NBBF secretary-general Peter Njoku shied away from the question. Prof. Florence Adeyanju, chairperson of the NBBF Zenith League Committee refused to answer repeated calls to her phone.
The clubs qualified to compete in the final eight league include MFM Lagos, Dolphins Club, First Bank Basketball Club and Delta Force in the Atlantic Conference. Air Warriors, Nigeria Customs, Black Gold and Plateau Princesses who are in the Savanah Conference.
