Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress secures their 2020 Olympics place, ending a 16-year wait for a qualification.
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Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress secures their 2020 Olympics Place, ending a 16-year Wait for a Qualification Ticket to the Games
Despite losing their second group game at the ongoing FIBA Olympics Games Qualifying Tournament to Host-Serbia 64 – 70pts, the Nigerian female basketball team first game win over Mozambique was enough to take them to Tokyo in few months’ time, as they are now guaranteed a top-three finish in their group. Mozambique heavy defeat of 49 – 124pts against the USA (current world champions) secures the spot for D’Tigress.
Both D’Tigress and D’Tigers have now qualified for the Olympics games, Nigeria will be the first African country in history to feature both men and women teams of the same sport at the Olympics.
It will be fair to say D’Tigress is arguably the most in-form African sports team in the last three years now: they won the Afrobasketball title in 2017, finished 8th at FIBA World Cup, won the Afrobasketball title again in 2019 and some few hours ago they earn a spot to represent Africa at the Olympics.
D’Tigress left it late against Serbia
In the game against the Host-Serbia, D’Tigress were dominant in the first quarter, winning on 22 – 21pts. But this good performance of theirs dropped as the game proceeded in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, D’Tigress inability to convert their chances saw Serbia worked their way back into the game, winning against the Nigerian team 22 – 12pts and 16 – 12pts in the 2nd and 3rd quarters respectively to enter the 4th quarter with a decent gap lead against D’Tigress.
The Nigerian senior women national team rediscovered their momentum, winning 18 – 11pts against the eagles (Serbia) in the 4th quarter but there was no more time for them to make the gap tighter or probably win as their poor displays in the 2nd and 3rd quarters stood against them.
On the night, Kalu led the charge for D’Tigress with 20pts, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Promise Amukamara scored, on the other hand, scored 15pts, 4 rebounds. Team captain, Adaora Elonu, had 9pts and 6 rebounds.
D’Tigress will take on the USA today in their last qualifier game, as we all now know the outcome has no effect on their qualification.
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