Former D’Tigers player, Stanley Gumut has blamed poor preparation by Nigerian basketball authorities for the country’s absence in the Men’s basketball event at the Paris Olympic Games.

Gumut pointed out that there is no active basketball league in Nigeria, which is necessary for regular competition and team development.

He said it’s important to plan early and consistently for tournaments to avoid last-minute problems.

He stated, “What are we going to do to make the difference? Are we going to wait for a day or two, and then start crying there’s no money? Or will we start preparing for it now? Are we going to wait for a day or two before we start looking for players?”

“Even if you have professional players, it’s good to have a domestic team. Call them every two or three months to get to know each other and play friendly games. You don’t build a team in a minute. It’s just carelessness.”

Gumut added, “It’s not about their performance. I’m looking at the fact that we’re careless about preparing for this. If they did, they would have prepared better.”