The DRC Leopards take on the Nigeria D-Tigers at AFROCAN
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The men’s basketball Leopards take part in the Afrobasket which is played in Dakar, Senegal. They have already won their first match against the Mali selection. However, their morale is increasingly damaged because they have not received any assistance from the Government despite the support of the supervisory ministry, reported Saturday, November 23, the president of the Basketball Federation of Congo, Paulin Kabongo.
Joined by Radio Okapi from Mali, Paulin Kabongo regrets that once again basketball is neglected despite the medals it brings to the country:
« First outing, first victory. We managed to get the tickets on credit to bring the selection here. Our Government will simply have to tell us that other disciplines do not exist! We will comply ».
He claims that the federation does not have the funds to pay the players’ bonus.
« When the players ask for the bonus I don’t know how to promise them anything, it can only taint their morale. These players who come from Europe have contracts in their clubs, when they come like that, they are not paid on the other side, they expect to get a compensation that is minimal because it is really minimal. It is the same for all those who come from Kinshasa who abandon their jobs, their families when you see that nothing is moving forward, the morale of the players is starting to be affected. », Explained the president of the Congo Basketball Federation.
Paulin Kabongo fears falling back into the “nightmare” of debt for missions that have never been paid to date.
« There was a final phase of the African Cup of Nations with the 3 times 3 we had finished vice-champions of Africa we had brought home medals, the mission has never been paid to this day. Our girls were at the final phase of Afro basketball in Kigali last year in July, it has never been paid until this day. I have the impression that we would simply like basketball to no longer be played », he denounces.
