Fatick Basket Club (FBC) risks missing the upcoming promotion tournament to Senegal’s first division (D1) due to a severe lack of resources. The tournament, scheduled for the end of November, determines which clubs from lower divisions earn promotion, but FBC’s participation is now uncertain.
According to the club’s general secretary, Alassane Ndiaye, the team’s financial struggles are largely overlooked despite the widespread perception that FBC benefits from its location in the city of the President of the Republic and the Minister of Sports. Ndiaye highlighted that, unlike other clubs, FBC receives no external support.
“We regret that while the presidential couple provides aid to other clubs, we are not considered, even though we are a D2 club just like Ejf and Diamono. Last year, those football clubs each received ten million francs, but FBC received nothing. We find this unfair,” Ndiaye explained.
He also recounted the challenges of last year’s tournament, noting that the team left for the matches just a day before, leaving players exhausted. After a game against Iseg, the opposing club’s president gave FBC 80,000 francs as a gesture, which Ndiaye described as both generous and insulting, given the city’s perception that everything is “perfect” and that FBC faces no difficulties.
The club’s financial struggles highlight the ongoing challenges faced by smaller sports teams in Senegal, especially when competing for promotion to the top tier. Without adequate support, FBC’s chances of advancing to D1 this year remain in jeopardy.
