By Wakawaka Sports
The South East Basketball Association Media Manager, Kennedy Onwunali, has come out strongly against what he described as a deliberate campaign by some individuals to frustrate the growth of basketball in the South East and Nigeria at large.
Onwunali said the temporary power failure experienced during the Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Phase Two competition in Enugu should not be used as a distraction from the historic achievement of bringing the premier basketball event to the region.
“Power failure in sports is not a new story. It is unfortunate that some people have decided to ignore the bigger picture and focus on a temporary challenge instead of celebrating the progress made in bringing the NPBL to the South East,” Onwunali stated.
He accused some disgruntled elements within the basketball community of working behind the scenes to sabotage the success of the competition by spreading negative narratives.
“We know what is happening. Some people have been calling journalists and club owners, trying to influence them and create a negative picture of what we are doing. Their intention is to sabotage the effort to spread the gospel of basketball across the country,” he said.
Onwunali warned that those involved should understand that their actions are not only against the South East Basketball Association but against the entire growth of basketball in Nigeria.
They should understand that our success has exposed their intentions. Anyone fighting this development is not an enemy of the South East alone; they are enemies of basketball development in Nigeria. At a time when people should unite to grow the game, they are busy looking for ways to pull it down,” he added.
He further stated that the association will not remain silent over attempts to damage the image of the game in the region.
“The association will not fail to name those disgruntled elements within the basketball family who are collaborating with outsiders to discredit the game in the South East. Basketball belongs to everyone, and nobody should be allowed to destroy the progress we are making,” Onwunali declared.
He maintained that challenges are part of the journey of building a stronger sporting culture.
“Every major sporting destination in the world has faced challenges. The difference is that people committed to development fix problems and move forward. We will continue to improve, and we will continue to promote basketball beyond the South East,” he concluded.
The NPBL Phase Two continues in Enugu as stakeholders focus on competition, growth and the future of basketball in Nigeria.
