‘The future is bright’ – D’Tigress head coach Rena Wakama speaks after Paris Olympic games exit
Despite their 88-74 loss to Team USA in the quarterfinals, Nigeria’s D’Tigress left the Paris 2024 Olympics with pride and optimism. Head Coach Rena Wakama praised the team’s historic achievement and stressed the need for greater investment to ensure future success.
In her post-game remarks, Wakama highlighted the importance of supporting the team with better resources to help them reach the podium. “The future is bright, but we have got to invest in us,” she said.
She added: “We have got to give these girls other resources to support and help them get to the podium and bring home a medal because we are capable of it.”
D’Tigress made history as the first African basketball team, male or female, to reach the Olympic quarterfinals. This milestone reflects the team’s talent and hard work, pointing to the need for enhanced support from the Nigerian Sports Ministry and Basketball Federation.
Notable performances by Ezinne Kalu, Amy Okonkwo, and Elizabeth Balogun, along with their AfroBasket victory earlier in the year, suggest that there is much more to come from Wakama’s squad.
Rena Wakama is confident of a bright future: “We are capable of it,” and now it’s up to the relevant authorities to provide the backing needed to help D’Tigress achieve even greater heights in the future,” the Afrobasketball Championship winning-coach said.
