Booted from Australian basketball, Cambage unveils shock ploy to join Nigerian team she allegedly abused
Liz Cambage is trying to resuscitate her international basketball career, making the shocking statement that she now wants to represent Nigeria instead of Australia.
The controversial 31-year-old has been all-but barred from representing the Opals, with Australian coach Sandy Brondello saying she isn’t in their plans in the Paris Olympic Games.
“No, it's our decision,” Brondello told News Corp.
“It's all about the culture. We spend a lot of time on culture and if you can't buy into the culture, I won't pick you. It is as simple as that.”
This all stems from Cambage’s alleged racial remarks towards Nigerian players during a practice match in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games.
In the practice match, Cambage forcefully struck a Nigerian player with her elbow before allegedly calling the team “monkey” and telling them to “go back to your third world country”.
Now, however, she says she is in talks to represent Nigeria, while maintaining her innocence, telling Bleacher Report “a lot of girls don’t like me”.
“I don’t really lean towards racially backed insults. That’s not how I go. I’m very pro-black,” she said.
“I don’t say those things to those girls.”
When asked why the stories are so vastly different, Cambage added: “The truth looks a lot worse for other organisations involved, than using me as a scapegoat.”
She then dropped the ‘bomb’ that she has been working with the Nigerian team and is filing to leave the Australian team and join them.
“Like, why does Nigeria want me to leave Australia and go represent them?” she added.
“We’re filing for me to leave the Australian team so I can represent Nigeria.
“I’ve been in cahoots, I’ve been talking to them since all of this happened. This is what I mean, people don’t know the truth.”
To which veteran Nigerian women’s basketballer Promise Amukamara tweeted: “I’m sorry but this is False. Lol.”
Cambage, whose father is Nigerian, won a bronze medal with the Australian team at the 2012 London Games and a gold medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
I’m sorry but this is False. Lol https://t.co/eQ0L9PQTNa
— Promise Amukamara, OLY (@iPromisee) August 7, 2023
Girl like what????Is she serious right now?? Lol
— Promise Amukamara, OLY (@iPromisee) August 7, 2023
