The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF has fined the Police Batons Basketball Club and slammed a five-match suspension on one of its coaches and players for their conduct in a Week 5 game in Ilorin between them and the Kwara Falcons.
Those affected are Coach Dominic Dike and Malu Williams, a player who spots jersey number 9, whose overall conduct and behaviour during the said game the federation views as “short of the standard expected in our fast growing league.”
According to a press statement from the NBBF, coach Dike and Williams are each suspended for five league matches with immediate effect and with a warning that they use the suspension period to improve their behaviour.
The team was also fined N50,000, part of which will be used to replace the damaged plastic chairs in the Ilorin Sports Hall while it was strongly advised to learn to channel its grievances through the available appropriate structures.
The NBBF noted that “Although your team won the game, be on notice that the intimidation of game officials and opponents,use of abusive language and damage to property (plastic chairs in the hall) without recourse to available channels of protesting any observed or perceived shortcomings on the side of any game official(s), are actions capable of damaging the image of our game and league and taken together, are a bad example especially coming from a team of law enforcement officers.”
It added that the “uncontrollable outburst by your coach Dike Dominic and player, Malu Williams (both under observation for similar conduct in previous games), is totally unacceptable,” resulting in the sanctions meted out to them in order to remedy the situation.
Femi Adefeso
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