Nigerian government allows basketball teams to play again
By GERALD IMRAY
AP Sports Writer
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The Nigerian government has made a sudden U-turn and cleared its national basketball teams to return to competition immediately. The sports ministry says the decision to lift a ban on the teams playing in international competitions came after an appeal to the government by the Nigerian Basketball Federation. The Nigerian government withdrew its teams from international competitions for a two-year period last month citing administrative problems within the national basketball federation. That move led to the women’s team losing its place at the World Cup in Australia in September and threatened the men’s team’s qualification for the 2023 World Cup.