D’Tigress encouraged to shine at 2024 Paris Olympics
D’Tigress secured their place at the Olympic Games after participating in a qualifying tournament in Antwerp, Belgium, where they competed in Group B against Germany, Australia, and host nation Belgium.
In Paris, D’Tigress are set to play their opening game against Australia on July 29. They will then face the host nation, France, on August 1, followed by a match against Canada on August 4.
Adaora Umeoji, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, expressed confidence in the team’s abilities and their potential to perform well at the Games. Umeoji highlighted the bank’s long-term commitment to women’s basketball in Nigeria, noting that their sponsorship has been instrumental in developing the national team.
“We know our team will be up against top national teams, but we are hopeful they will do well. We want them to work hard and get good results for Nigeria and Africa,” Umeoji said. “Zenith Bank is proud of D’Tigress because, in close to two decades, we have been sponsoring the women’s basketball league, which incidentally has produced a better percentage of the players in the national team.”
In preparation for the Olympics, D’Tigress have faced tough competition in their warm-up matches. They lost 70-62 to Serbia in Belgrade after an earlier 77-63 defeat to Germany in Berlin. Despite these setbacks, head coach Rena Wakama remains optimistic about the team’s prospects at the Games.
“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,” Wakama told NBBF media.
