Oviri Kelvin, Sports Editor, Abuja
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBF) said that only through adequate preparations and hard work can the nation’s women’s basketball team be victorious in the Federation of International Basketball Women World Cup.
Speaking after the release of the draws for the tournament, Engr Ahmadu Musa Kida, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, stressed that the team which is a force to reckon with must be prepared to go the extra mile to sustain the feat.
“In the last four years, we have continued to shock the world and other teams are now paying some serious attention to us. To continue on that path, we have to work extra hard to sustain the tempo,” he said.
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The NBF President emphasised that swift release of finance is very essential for the team’s successful outing in Australia and called on the federal government to expedite actions in this regard.
He said, “This is where the Federal Government comes in through funding. Early approval and release of funds are at the core of all our proposed plans. Preparing for such an important tournament costs money and we will be banking on the Federal Government.”
According to the Kida, Nigeria in the last four years has risen to prominence in the sport winning a series of trophies with consistent qualifications in both the World Cup and Olympics events.
“We are no longer referred to as just another team from Africa. We are now being addressed as Nigeria based on what we have achieved in the last four years which saw us winning 3 Afrobasket titles, back-to-back world cup qualification, and Olympics participation,” Kida said.
Alongside the host nation Australia, Nigeria’s D’Tigress were drawn in group B with Canada, Serbia, France, and Japan, for the competition that will be taking place between 22 September to 1 October in Sydney.
