- Fans of D’Tigers have mistaken the team’s supporters’ fund solicitation as an indication that the male basketballers lack adequate funding to participate in the 2020 Olympics taking place in Tokyo. The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and branded as Tokyo 2020, is scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo.
Fans of D’Tigers have mistaken the team’s supporters’ fund solicitation as an indication that the male basketballers lack adequate funding to participate in the 2020 Olympics taking place in Tokyo.
The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and branded as Tokyo 2020, is scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo.
D’Tigers’ coach, Mike Brown, had organised a GoFundMe account for supporters of the team, “to provide travel and organisational support” for the supporters.
Brown had titled the fundraiser as ‘Support the Nigerian Men’s Basketball Team.’
According to the GoFundMe account, the fund solicitation is for a “non-profit organisation known as Friends of Nigerian Basketball Foundation;” and the overall goal is “to help them campaign for D’Tigers during the Olympic.”
Details of the fundraiser read, “Coach Mike Brown is organising this fundraiser on behalf of Friends of Nigerian Basketball Foundation.
“Team Nigeria is the only men’s basketball team representing the continent of Africa in the upcoming 2021 [sic] Olympic games in Tokyo.
“The Friends of Nigerian Basketball Foundation will raise funds and awareness for this campaign, and we need your support!
“Your donations will help provide training, travel and organizational support to the FONB program and all contributions are tax deductible. We thank you in advance for your support.”
Explaining the activities of the FONB, coach Brown says, “The Friends of Nigerian Basketball Foundation is a non-profit corporation organized under Delaware law (EIN: 86-3270553).
“The Foundation has applied with the IRS for tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3). It is anticipated that the application will be approved in the near future. IRS approval will be retroactive to April 5, 2021.
Meanwhile, the headline for the fundraiser ‘Support the Nigerian Men’s Basketball Team,’ has misled online fans and supporters of Team Nigeria to believe that the GoFundMe was meant to sponsor D’Tigers to Tokyo 2020.
Supporters have subsequently taken the Federal Government to the cleaners over the issue on Twitter.
A tweep, @TheBabaTee, wrote, “If we apply some people’s theory, then the Nigeria Basketball Team shouldn’t have applied for the Olympics if they knew they didn’t have the funds.”
Another tweep, @cocotiny, tweeted, “This is actually so embarrassing to be honest. See what our government has turned this country,a constant source of embarrassment.”
“So the citizens should fund the men basketball team, like for real? But our senators, Governors and Mr integrity are getting paid millions. Not my money though,” @tlcmarki tweeted.
“This is tragic. Soliciting funds for Nigeria’s Basketball Team?” @ebenezar_slim asked.
“Nigeria’s National basketball team uses gofundme,”@phikayomee
tweets.
“I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that there is a gofundme for the @NigeriaBasket, is it because of this policy of govt not interfering with sports or what,but the Super Eagles gets funded by the govt na? It just doesn’t sir right with me. National team? Gofundme? Sigh!” @firstclassjerry says.
‘@gofundme and @NigeriaBasket Most of that will go into the heavy wages of top players and coaches not camp, Jersey, flight, hotel and equipment most of which ha e already been donated or available”–@GimbaFaith.
At the time of filing this report, $8,960 has been raised in the fundraiser towards its main target of $1m.
