COOL DRIVE: Ronald Alalibo (in jersey Number 16) of Dodan Warrior drives on to dribble Emmanuel Balogun of Customs during the 2014 Nigeria DStv Premier Basketball League held at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium, Surulere Lagos last weekend. Customs won by 62-53 points. –

The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF has fined the Police Batons Basketball Club and slammed a five-match suspension on one of their coaches and players for their conduct in a DSTV/NBBF Basketball League Week 5 game in Ilorin against 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 on their behaviour.
The team were also fined N50,000, part of which will be used to replace the damaged plastic chairs at the Ilorin Sports Hall, while they were strongly advised to learn to channel their grievances through the 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.