Hamane Niang, President of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), stepped back following the publication of an investigation by New York Times accusing him of having ignored sexual abuse in Malian basketball during the 2000s, in particular. Charges that he formally denies. While a surge of solidarity is building in Hamane Niang
According to information from the New York Times, Hamane Niang, President of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), has “Largely ignored the aggression of women for a dozen years between 1999 and 2011, when he was first President of the Malian Basketball Federation, then Minister of Sports of his country”.
In an email sent to the New York Times, Hamane Niang “Firmly rejects” the accusations brought by Jere Longman and Romain Molina, authors of the investigation: “I have never been involved and I have never heard of the accusations described in your correspondence “. In addition, it has “Offered his full collaboration to the investigation, ” FIBA said.
Hamane Niang is not in any case directly involved in the allegations of sexual abuse which, according to the New York Times, took place between 1999 and 2011.
Faced with these accusations, he received the support of several personalities from the basketball world.
Support from the basketball world
Thus, the iconic captain of the 2007 African champions, the former international Hamchétou Maïga, reacted. PSpeaking, the former captain of the national women’s team of Mali said to condemn “strongly any kind of abuse and even more those against young girls.” Also, the 2007 African champion wished to recall the credit that goes to Hamane Niang for her contribution to Malian or even world basketball. “In view of the unfortunate situation that prevails in relation to the serious accusations of sexual abuse suffered by some of my sisters, I wanted to write these few lines. First of all in relation to my undying love for Basketball and the world of Sport in general.
A human right, a constitutional right, a fundamental freedom that every human being should be able to enjoy without having to suffer any prejudice, a fortiori serious violations of his fundamental rights. As a woman and a mother, I appreciate the magnitude of these allegations and strongly condemn all kinds of abuse and even more so against young girls.
Also, having long, for more than twenty years, rubbed shoulders and collaborated with our President Hamane Niang, who is the subject of investigations following serious accusations of damage caused to some of my sisters, I also felt obliged to break silence as to my esteem and my high admiration and consideration for Man. I have the greatest respect for him for what he represents and has contributed a lot to Malian, African and world basketball. His impact, his leadership, his frank love for Basketball and our country are the basis of the fame and respect earned by Malian Basketball. Hundreds of young people had the chance to benefit from the seed planted with his team for the popularization of basketball. My Presi… was at the base of the evolution of Malian basketball for me Hamchétou and many others ”, declared Hamchétou Maïga.
Another ex International had to react, Mama Traoré, former basketball player for the Mali national team, assistant women’s basketball coach at Rowan College at Burlington country and owner of a large business. She recalled in a post all the support, all the attention that Hamane Niang showed towards the players of the National team. “During each trip of the National team of Mali, we were accompanied by some officials of the Malian Basketball Federation who were appointed by the President of the Federation, Mr. Hamane Niang to ensure that we were taken charge during the months we had spent away from our families. Even with this protection initiated by him, he was traveling himself to make a surprise visit to our preparation camps to see for himself how things were going.
In all my years as a national team player, I never felt I couldn’t go to him with a problem I had because he showed us from day one that he was there for us and there was no barrier.
I support Mr. Hamane Niang and hope that the allegations against him will be raised; because he has always been a good leader, has done his job beyond his description and has always cared about us ”, underlines Mama Traoré.
For its part, lhe Malian Basketball Federation also came out of its silence to speak out on these serious accusations. While condemning the act, she wanted to show her full support for its former President, Hamane Niang, whose mandate at the head of the FMBB is cited in the case but without ever being indexed himself. .
These testimonies sufficiently prove the esteem and confidence which man enjoys within the basketball world.
Indeed, Hamane Niang contributed a lot to get out Malian basketball from its lethargy. It will have enabled it to be the number 1 discipline of Sports in Mali. Who does not remember his saving initiatives of the Rails and cotton conferences, the results of which helped propel Malian basketball onto the roof of Africa.
And if Mali has become a temple of basketball, especially for women, Hamane Niang is its main builder. Driven by his success in business management and driven by a vision of the development of the discipline at the base, he (basketball) allowed him to come out of his lethargy and gain respect in Africa and in the world. From Mali, Hamane Niang put his bags down at FIBA-Africa. He also led this body with brio and prowess, instilling a dynamic of emergence.
The first edition of the “ Basket League Africa ” or “ African Basketball League (The African version of the prestigious NBA) from May 16 to 30, 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda. Not to mention that it was under his presidency that Mali won its first continental trophy (in collective sports) at club level (the Djoliba Dames in 1995) and national selections (the Aigles Dames in 2007 in Dakar, Senegal) .
All those who have sincerely collaborated with Niang or have known him have testified to his ethics and his high sense of values. And all the more so since he is not a leader to tolerate an attack on the physical and moral integrity of the players whose interests he has always defended.
Granny Sanogo
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