Underage basketball chiefs are facing a new injury issue in the girls’ game — from long finger nails.

Chief executive Bernard O’Byrne has revealed that Basketball Ireland (BI) will stump up the €4,000 shortfall to continue a development officer programme in Cork, mired in controversy, through the rest of this year.

Ladies basketball officials in Cork are facing local protests and strong criticism from Basketball Ireland over a proposal to axe funding for the sport’s local development programme, run by UCC Demons star Ciarán O’Sullivan.