The Federal Government of Nigeria has challenged the Nigerian women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, to win the 2023 AfroBasket FIBA Women’s Competition currently taking place in Kigali, Rwanda.
OsunDailyNG reported that the D’Tigress defeated Egypt 83-65 in their Group D clash on Sunday to demonstrate their superiority over their North African rivals.
Recall that the Nigerian team has defeated the North African side in three successive AfroBasket, including the 2015 and 2017 editions of the competition. Also, D’Tigress have won five continental titles, including the last three women’s AfroBasket.
After they defeated Egypt on Sunday, the D’Tigress received a congratulatory message from Ismaila Abubakar, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development. He commended them on their outstanding performance so far in the competition.
“We want to remind you that we are closely monitoring your exceptional performances in all the events our athletes participate in. So far, you are doing great. We are proud of you and want you to continue giving you all to maintain the lead and raise our nation’s flag high with podium finishes. We stand firmly behind you and commend you for making the country proud. Keep up the momentum,” he said.
The permanent secretary also hailed the representatives of the ministry, the Nigeria Basketball Federation, and the team’s technical staff for their unwavering dedication to implementing the government’s sporting initiatives, policies, and programs, all of which aim to empower and advance Nigerian youths through sports.
He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to win the renowned trophy for a record-tying fourth consecutive time due to their perseverance and talent on display at the competition.
D’Tigress handily defeated Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the first and second quarters of the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, respectively. As a result, they are qualified to take part in the quarterfinal round of the competition on Wednesday, August 2.
