The process of gaining Deng’s passport has stalled because the 21-year-old forward has spent the majority of the past five years out of the country, playing basketball at high school, Duke University and, for the past two seasons, for the Bulls, where he has emerged as one of the NBA’s most exciting young talents.

The Great Britain team, who may gain automatic entry to the 2012 London Olympics, are desperate for the Sudanese-born Deng, who has played for England at under-18 level, for which no passport is required, to gain citizenship. The London Organising Committee has used the 6ft 9in forward in an ambassadorial role because he plays in the NBA, arguably the most widely watched sports league in the world.

Deng, who arrived in Britain via Egypt in 1994 after his family fled war-torn Sudan and obtained refugee status, is also involved in many charitable enterprises in Africa and runs a basketball camp for children in Sevenoaks, Kent, every August. With most of his family having received British passports, Deng, one of nine children, is hoping that a personal application will help to salvage his attempts to be recognised by the country he has called home for the past 12 years.

“I am extremely committed to British basketball and Britain,” Deng said. “It is the only country I will play for. I have played for Britain [England] at under-18 level and I expect to do the same for the senior team, especially with the strides that the [international] programme is taking.

“There are a lot of extremely talented young players, like Nick George, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Joel Freeland, whom I believe will be joining me in the NBA in the near future, and, with an excellent coach like Chris Finch, we could develop into one of the best teams in Europe between now and the 2012 Olympics.

“Of course, people are focusing on the Olympics, but even without that, I would want to complete my passport application. Nearly all my family have passports and we consider ourselves British. Britain took in my family and I when we were forced to leave the Sudan in 1994 and the country has given us all a lot.

“I want to give something back and represent Britain on the basketball court and off it. It would be an honour for me and my whole family if I were able to play for the British national team.”

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