The Guinean Ministry of Sports has appointed an ad-hoc committee to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Guinean Basketball Federation, pending the organization of an elective congress in the very near future. A decision deemed illegal by the Feguibasket General Secretary.
This ad-hoc committee is made up of 7 members. It will be responsible for grooming the texts and organizing the next congress, which should lead to the election of a new executive board. As for the outgoing president of the Guinean Basketball Federation, Sakoba Kéita, he will manage the day-to-day business of Feguibasket until the end of his mandate, scheduled for March 2024," reads the letter from Sports Minister Lansana Béa Diallo. A move rejected by the secretary general of the Guinean Basketball Federation. The latter claims to have referred the matter to the Guinean National Olympic and Sports Committee, denouncing what he describes as the Ministry of Sports' interference in the federation's affairs. In his letter, the Feguibasket General Secretary points out that it is the exclusive responsibility of the federation's General Secretariat to convene a General Assembly.
"We wish to draw the attention of the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Guinéen to the provisions of the FIBA and FGBB Statutes which stipulate, among other things, that FIBA member associations also have the obligation to conduct their affairs in complete independence and must ensure that no third party interferes, in accordance with article 1. 3 , 9.5 and 9.7 of FIBA's General Statutes and article 14 of the FGBB's statutes," explains Oumar Camara Sampil in the letter.
For this official, any decision to set up a Normalization Committee must emanate only from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and not from the Guinean Ministry of Sports. "This commission has no legal value. Only FIBA is empowered to do so," says Oumar Camara Sampil. What we can't do for soccer, we can't impose on basketball", warns the federation's general secretary.
March 20 congress maintained despite everything
On February 3, despite this decision by the Minister of Sports, the General Secretary announced the convening of the 17th Ordinary Congress of the Guinean Basketball Federation to renew the association's various governing bodies. The president of the Guinean Basketball Federation will not be taking part in this congress. After more than 10 years at the helm, Sakoba Kéita has decided to throw in the towel. More than two weeks after its creation, the members of the ad-hoc committee have yet to take up their duties. For feguibasket's General Secretary, with the withdrawal of the current President, the establishment of this ad-hoc committee makes no sense. "We would like to remind you that, in accordance with the provisions of articles 16, 25 and 27 of the FGBB's current statutes, it is the General Assembly and the Commissions appointed by the Executive Committee that are statutorily empowered to amend the texts and conduct elections in a transparent and independent manner," says Oumar Sampil Camara.
Since 2018, a crisis has been undermining Guinean basketball. Two camps are claiming ownership of the body. Sakoba Kéita's camp, recognized by international bodies (Ministry of Sports, FIBA, Olympic Committee), and Amadou Tafsir Camara's camp. Four years later, Sakoba Kéita has decided to step down. A few months ago, the federation had already denounced the non-payment of 14 mission bonuses, including that of the African U16 champions. It remains to be seen whether the Ministry of Sports or the federation will have the last word in this dispute.
