Ukraine pleads for global help to beat Russian invasion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday pressed the world to help his country beat back a Russian invasion, even as those forces closed in on Kyiv from various directions overnight in their effort to take the capital.
Zelenskyy tweeted that he had started “a new day on the diplomatic frontline” by talking to French President Emmanuel Macron. In a second tweet, Zelenskyy called the present “a crucial moment to close the long-standing discussion once and for all and decide on Ukraine’s membership in the #EU,” or European Union.
In the United States, President Joe Biden was slated to meet with his national security team on Saturday morning.
But despite international condemnation of Russia’s strike against its smaller neighbor, Russia pressed on with the attack, with airstrikes on cities and military bases in the predawn hours. The violence prompted thousands of Ukrainians to flee their homes, looking for safety in nearby countries.
It is no news that the Nigerian Basketball Federation has been in crisis in the past five years. Going back to enumerate the situation since then till now is not necessary but it is so disturbing that despite the efforts of the Ministry of sports under former minister Solomon Dalung and now the incumbent, Sunday Dare, there seems to be no end in sight. One thing is clear, power tussle develops from greed and selfish interest of few individuals in the scenario. The international federation of the slamming and dunking sport, FIBA, sent representatives to Nigeria over this impasse and the situation remain the same. While other sports federation were holding elections in Abuja last year, that of basketball did not take place due to technical reasons. Former NBBF President, Tijani Umar, has his followers on one hand while the other faction led by Musa Kida, who just finished a term, is the second faction. On January 31, it was a shame that the election many were expecting took place in two separate centres. it was a bizarre situation. In Abuja, Mark Igoche was elected the new President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation just as another faction in Benin re-elected Engineer Musa Kida to run the affairs of the body for a second term. This is serious confusion and the Ministry of sports is treading softly perhaps to avoid a ban from the international body, FIBA. At this stage, it is important to stress that the silence of the Ministry is not good for the sport. The warring factions should be invited and told to bury their hatchets to save basketball in the country. If the two factions cannot come together, it is better to have fresh people come on board to run the affairs of the federation for good. Only last week, the female national team, D’Tigress, won a ticket to play at the next FIBA World Cup in grand style. After losing first match to China, the team created a big upset by beating the world number 5 ranked country in the sport, France. D’Tigress won 67-65 and went ahead to also whip Mali in the last match. It was a smooth qualification for the ladies despite the crises at the home front. Dare-led Ministry of sports deserves commendation for footing the bill of the team at a time there is no board for the country’s basketball. There was no camping or any preparation for D’Tigress for the qualifiers which took place in Serbia. The Nigerian girls stood tall to maintain their consistency in the sport. It will be recalled that the team featured in the quarterfinal of the last World Cup. It is also important to recall that the Nigerian team won the Women AfroBasket in the last three editions. And so it was a delight that the Federal Government few says ago announced a cash reward of N25m for the team for winning the 2020 AfroBasket Championships in Cameroon. D’Tigress beat Mali in the final of the Championships. For this team to enjoy good preparation for the World Cup slated for Sydney, Australia in September, there is need to have peace in the NBBF. Kida won the Benin election which is recognised by FIBA and so he should work towards having a concrete plan for the girls to do well at the World Cup. D’Tigress have shown promise and consistency, it is important to support them with adequate administrative planning that will guarantee results. There are many negative sides to the crises as the national women’s basketball league sponsored by Zenith Bank was unable to take place. The sponsors were ready but there was no peace in the federation. The ministry must as a matter of urgency look into ways of resolving the crises so that FIBA will not wedge its hammer on Nigeria at a time the country is recording heartwarming results at continental and global stage.
The Ukrainian health minister says that 198 people have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded in the Russian offensive.
Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said Saturday that there were three children among those killed. His statement made it unclear whether the casualties included both military and civilians.
He said another 1,115 people, including 33 children, were wounded in the Russian invasion that began Thursday with massive air and missile strikes and troops forging into Ukraine from the north, east and south.
— Associated Press
