Facts have emerged on the real reason Etoro Bassey did not participate at the just concluded Billie Jean King Cup Africa Group III Qualifier event in Botswana, despite traveling with the team.
The 2026 CBN Women’s Singles champion was touted as one of Nigeria’s brightest hopes at the Billie Jean King Cup event in Botswana, after her stellar performance at the national tournaments held in Abuja a few weeks before the Billie Jean King Cup event.
However, Nigerians raised eyebrows when the squad list was released for each of the matches in Botswana and her name was nowhere to be found.
Not only was her name not on the team list for each day, it was not on the list of Nigerian players registered for the tournament as seen on the official website for the tournament.
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With different opinions and assumptions flooding the social media space, the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) has deemed it fit to state the facts of the matter and ally any misconception about the player’s non-participation at the event.
A statement made available to Nigeria Tennis Live and signed by the Federation’s Technical Head, Mr. Saidu Musa, reads: “The Nigeria Tennis Federation wishes to clarify the circumstances surrounding the non-participation of Etoro Bassey at the Billie Jean King Cup competition.
“At the close of the initial player registration, Nigeria’s official squad comprised Barakat Quadre, Adesuwa Osabuohien, Success Ogunjobi, and Khadijat Mohamed. At that stage, Etoro Bassey was not among the players originally registered for the competition.
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“Following her outstanding performances at both the CBN Open Tennis Championship and the DavNotch National Tennis Championship, where she reached two consecutive finals and won one title while finishing runner-up in the other, the technical leadership considered her recent form worthy of national team selection. Consequently, the Nigeria Tennis Federation initiated the necessary process to include her in the squad.
“As Etoro had never previously represented Nigeria at the Billie Jean King Cup, she required a fresh player registration. This process was duly completed by the Federation’s Secretary, and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) subsequently confirmed that she was eligible to participate.
“Unfortunately, during the official captains’ meeting preceding the competition, it was discovered that Etoro Bassey’s name did not appear on the final approved player list issued for the event. Since only players whose names appeared on that final list were eligible to compete, it became impossible for her to be fielded despite having travelled with the team”.
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The NTF also noted that the unfortunate situation was not peculiar to Nigeria, stating adding: “it is important to emphasize that this situation was not unique to Nigeria. Other participating nations experienced similar administrative challenges. A notable example was Kenya, whose player, Angela Okutoyi, was also affected by the same issue”.
While setting the records straight on whether or not the player just traveled for the sake of accompanying the team, the NTF emphasized that “The Nigeria Tennis Federation rejects any suggestion that Etoro travelled merely for the sake of accompanying the team.
“No responsible federation would incur the significant financial costs associated with international competition—including travel, accommodation, feeding, accreditation, and logistics—without the genuine intention of fielding a player.
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“Before the official draw was conducted, the Federation’s Secretary made repeated efforts to ensure that Etoro’s name was reflected on the final competition list. However, despite those efforts, the ITF Supervisor at the venue confirmed that no further amendments could be made once the final list had been issued.
“The Federation appreciates the understanding and support of stakeholders and remains committed to ensuring that Nigerian athletes receive every opportunity to represent the country at the highest level while continuing to work closely with the relevant international authorities to prevent a recurrence of such situations”.
The Nigerian quartet of Etoro Bassey, Success Ogunjobi, Khadijat Mohammed and Oyinlomo Quadre led by Coach Rotimi Akinloye. ensured Nigeria gained promotion to Europe/Africa Group II for the first time ever after topping the promotional playoff group consisting of Botswana and Tunisia.
While Bassey, Mohammed and Quadre have since returned to Nigeria, the duo of Ogunjobi and Coach Akinloye are in Zimbabwe for another competition.