Nigeria’s women’s basketball team D’Tigress will travel to Paris, France for the 2024 Olympic Games this month and hope to get their first win in 20 years at the games, The PUNCH reports.

Heading into the tournament, the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket winners have been placed at the bottom of the power rankings in the latest team analysis.

The Nigerians are ranked 12th among the participating teams and face a difficult road at the Olympic Games.

D’Tigress, Africa’s sole representative in the women’s basketball event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, are paired in Group B alongside Australia, Canada and France.
The African champions are poised for a consecutive appearance after participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The upcoming Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament will see Nigeria looking to land a surprise blow in the Group phase and claim their first-ever win at the event.

D’Tigress are yet to register a win in the competition since they made their Olympic bow at the Athens edition of the Games in 2004, when they lost all five games and conceded over 400 points.
At Tokyo 2020, they were defeated 87-62 by France in their first game before further loses to the US (81-72) and Japan (102-83) respectively.

Despite failing to secure a win in Tokyo, they impressed with their performances sparking hope of a bright future.

They will now try to build on their last Olympic outing, with seven days to the start of the game. Head coach Rene Wakama will try to put the team in the best shape as they seek their first triumph since Athens 2004. It’s going to be an enormous challenge since Nigeria are the underdogs, having been ranked the lowest team in Paris.
Nigeria will be banking on terrific Amy Okonkwo for inspiration after the forward claimed MVP honours at the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2023. She then also impressed in a big way at the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Antwerp.

If Okonkwo can turn up the dial in the frontcourt, then that will be massive especially since D’Tigress have received a huge boost in the backcourt with the return of Ezinne Kalu. Another class act who has already delivered at the biggest events, including Tokyo 2020 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2018, the playmaker will re-assume her position as a leader in the absence of team captain Sarah Ogoke who won’t be at the tournament for personal reasons.

It’s not beyond possibility and perhaps the biggest hope is that the return of Kalu as court general after three years away from national team duties can give them a new base to build their campaign on.

Alongside her will be Elizabeth Balogun and Promise Amukamara who are both capable of putting up numbers in terms of scoring and in the case of the latter, dishing out dimes.
There will be further strength under the basket in the shape of Murjanatu Musa whose size and power will be vital – as will that of Pallas Kunaiyi Akpanah.

Despite the tough task ahead, Wakama expressed confidence in the team, as they continued training in their new camp in Germany.

“Things have been going well in the camp in the last few days as we have had great practice sessions and the girls are in great spirits,” she said in a chat with NBBF.

“The girls are responding well to training and getting better, every day. And that’s what matters.

“I’m confident that the girls will be able to display their talents when we get to Paris. I’m excited and looking forward to the games,” Wakama, who led D’Tigress to a record-equalling fourth Afrobasket title in Rwanda last year, added.

Meanwhile, the team will test Germany in a friendly game in Berlin July 19 before taking on Serbia in Belgrade July 21 and Japan in Lille, France July 24.

Post Category: Sports





   

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