Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, will aim to end their barren run with a first win at the Paris 2024 Olympics since they defeated South Korea 68-64 in the classification game of Athens 2004.
D’Tigress started competing in the Olympics in 2004. They suffered losses in all five of their group matches against Australia, Japan, Greece, Brazil, and Russia in that edition, but they managed to win one against South Korea to become the first African team to triumph in a match at the global multi-sport showcase.
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The victory against South Korea placed D’Tigress eleventh in the world ranking.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, sixteen years after making their Olympic debut, D’Tigress returned to competition, losing all the group’s matches to the USA, France, and Japan to finish eleventh in the world ranking.
They failed to get beyond the group stages at both editions.
Ahead of their encounter against Australia’s Opals in their Paris 2024 Olympic Women’s Basketball Tournament Group B opener today (Monday), the Rena Wakama-trained team aims to secure their first Olympic win in 20 years.
The team boasts Amy Okonkwo, Ezinne Kalu, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Pallas Kunayi, and Blessing Ejiofor. Others include Olaoluwatomi Taiwo, Lauren Ebo, Adebola Adeyeye, Nicole Enabosi, Murjanatu Musa, and Ifunaya Okoro.
D’Tigress, ranked 12th, will face a tough challenge in Group B, which includes powerhouse teams such as Australia, Canada, and host nation France—all ranked in the top 7 of the FIBA world rankings.
By Dotun Omisakin
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2 Comments
I’m getting bored of this website, they are never realistic that is why the team management don’t see their downside because all I read here is “ready to win, ready to Conquer” and all gimmicks only for the teams to fall like a pack of card. The only Athlete that deserves all this hype is Tobi Amusan so CS please mellow down until things are put in order for this teams to perform before you raise our hope.
And yea….we eventually got it. Against
3rd in the world ranked Australia….. power of positive thinking. Shame to the shameless.
I’ll really love to see Liz Cambage’s face right now.
Congratulations to the girls….and to coach Rena. She is really growing her profile as one to be taken seriously in this game. More grease to your elbows.
Finally, something to be happy about from these olympic games.
Can our sports federations get serious please. We have the potentials.