FG welcomes home 2021 AfroBasket champions, D’Tigress

… Nigeria now a basketball nation – Dare

… we are a world basketball power – Kida

The federal government has welcomed home the senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress after winning for the third consecutive time, the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket trophy.

The Nigerian queens defeated Mali 70-59 Sunday night in Yaounde as they continue to dominate African basketball winning the 2017, 2019 and 2021 editions without dropping a game. Nigeria had previously won the 2003 and 2005 editions in Maputo and Abuja respectively.

While hosting the team to a reception inside the VIP Lounge of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja yesterday, the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare declared Nigeria a basketball-loving nation.

“They have shown a rare dominance, the dominance of the women basketball terrain by D’Tigress from the African continent. I can say it’s now indisputable. We have seen how they are also blending the home-based players with the foreign players that is the DNA of our sports as a country whether it is basketball or football, that blend always works for us.

“I also thank them for putting Nigeria on the global map of basketball, the same goes to D’Tigers. I can now say that Nigeria is truly a basketball nation,” he declared.

In the same vein, the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engr Musa Kida said Nigeria can no longer be taken for granted when they play.

“Nigeria is not taken for granted when we play a match. we are expected to win and we have won European nations. D’Tigress was expected to beat the United States. Our Tigresses have developed to become a world basketball power, pound for pound, rebound for rebound, point for point,” he noted.

D’Tigress returned from Yaounde with only three members of the team. Musa Murjaratu and Nkem Akaraiwe returned with one of the team’s assistant coaches, Samson Sotuminu who is the coach of Air Warriors, the current champions of the Zenith Bank Women’s League.