Basketball
Sexual abuse claims consume Mali’s FIBA President, Hamane Niang
Hamane Niang has temporarily stepped down as International Basketball Federation (FIBA) President amid allegations of systemic sexual harassment within the Mali Basketball Federation.
The Malian official is not accused of committing sexual abuse, but it is claimed that he largely overlooked the assault of women while he served as head of the National Federation and Mali’s Sports Minister.
An independent investigation has been launched by FIBA into the allegations, made in an extensive report by the New York Times.
FIBA has said Niang “strongly denies” the claims but has agreed to temporarily step aside while the investigation is conducted.
Richard McLaren, independent integrity officer for FIBA, has opened the investigation and is expected to reveal the findings “soon after” the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which are due to start next month.
Malian coaches Amadou Bamba and Oumar Sissoko have been suspended by FIBA along with official Hario Maiga, also of Mali, while the probe takes place.
FIBA first vice-president Sheikh Saud Ali Al-Thani will step into Niang’s role and is expected to lead the organisation at the Olympics.
The worldwide governing body confirmed it had received “several allegations about systemic sexual harassment” through the New York Times and Human Rights Watch since June 10.
It said it had asked the Mali Basketball Federation to require its full collaboration with the investigation.
“It is alleged that the FIBA President knew or should have known about the sexual abuses in the Mali Basketball Federation particularly during his time at the helm of that Federation from 1999 until 2007,” the statement from FIBA read.
“The FIBA President, who strongly denies the allegations, has taken the decision to temporarily step aside while the investigation is conducted.
“He has also offered his full collaboration to the investigation.”
FIBA stressed that it was Niang’s “right to the presumption of innocence” and said it would make no further comment pending the outcome of the investigation.
“FIBA has zero-tolerance for all forms of harassment and abuse and extends its heartfelt compassion for victims of such conduct,” the statement added.
“FIBA is committed to ensuring reports of such behaviour are taken seriously and properly investigated.”
Niang was elected unopposed as FIBA President in 2019, succeeding Argentina’s Horacio Muratore, and is serving a four-year term which is due to end in 2023.
The alleged cases of sexual abuse reportedly took place between 1999 and 2011 when Niang was President of the Mali Basketball Federation and then the country’s Sports Minister.
Niang is accused of largely ignoring the allegations, with critics claiming he continues to leave female players vulnerable to exploitation in his home country.
Over the past several months, the New York Times reported it has carried out interviews with female players from Mali who accuse Niang of failing to act.
One of the alleged incidents took place between 2006 and 2007 at a nightclub where two players, who were teenagers at the time, claim their coach groped their breasts and buttocks as they danced with them.
Niang is accused of watching and laughing rather than condoning the behaviour of the coach.
Minky Worden, director of global initiatives for Human Rights Watch, said Niang “knew or should have known” about the allegations in Mali and called for him to be suspended.
Aissata Tina Djibo, a former player for Mali’s youth and senior women’s national teams, said coaches and officials at the Federation “don’t look at you as a basketball player, but as a piece of meat to have sex with”.
Djibo and fellow sports reform activist Cheick Camara claim there were at least 100 players who say they were abused.
“It’s a system and it needs proper investigation because no girl feels safe,” said Camara.
The New York Times said it sent Niang a list of questions last week before the FIBA President responded with an email yesterday.
“I was never implicated and I never had knowledge in any way of the accusations described in your correspondence,” the email read.
insidethegames has contacted the International Olympic Committee for comment.
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Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
Here is FIBA’s analysis: The return of the Tokyo Olympian has been a blessing for Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Nigeria.
For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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