We never promised to win the Olympics –NBBF

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has said it never promised to bring back home the Olympic gold medal at the basketball event of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The President of the federation, Tijjani Umar who was speaking at the body’s Executive board meeting in Abuja at the weekend, said the national team was making steady progress.

The team ended the Games as the 11th best team after being grouped alongside top teams like Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Croatia in Group B. The team was only able to get a win in five games, hence missed out of the quarter finals.

That notwithstanding, Nigeria moved from the 25th best ranked team in the world before the Games to 16th in ranking released by FIBA after the Games following the team’s steady progress.

By the ranking, Nigeria is now the best team in Africa, overtaking rivals Angola who have held the top spot for a while.

“Before the Olympics, we never promised that the basketball team will win medals,” Tijjani said. “People have to work hard, invest appropriately and do the needful before thinking and getting medals at the Olympics.”

“United States, before the Olympics started, were projected to win gold at the just concluded Games because of their level of preparation hinged on investment the country has made overtime in basketball development.

“No one can reap where he didn’t sow. Most countries that featured at the Olympics have invested so much in the past 50 years yet they couldn’t go beyond the second round. And so, we never expected to even get to the quarter-final of the Olympics,” he stressed.

The NBBF boss however, assured that the board will continue working hard to push the national teams up the ladder with programmes aimed at improving the game of basketball in the country.