By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has charged Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, to maximise the fourth window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers and strengthen their chances of securing a place at the global showpiece.
Olopade gave the charge as D’Tigers unveiled their final 12-man roster for the crucial qualifying window, urging the players and technical crew to remain focused and translate their quality into positive results.
“This is a very important window for D’Tigers and for Nigerian basketball. We have a talented group of players and an experienced technical team, and now is the time to translate that quality into results,” Olopade said.
He urged the team to play with unity, discipline and the Nigerian fighting spirit, adding that the entire nation was behind them and expected the players to represent the country with pride.
The final 12-man squad comprises Chimezie Metu, Josh Okogie, Caleb Agada, Stan Okoye, Chima Moneke, Ike Nwamu, Udoka Azubuike, Efe Abogidi, Ebuka Izundu, Manny Obaseki, Jordan Ogundiran and Paul Dibal.
D’Tigers will be led by Head Coach David Fizdale, assisted by Dan Craig, Quinton Crawford, Deji Akindele and Dapo Adegibile.
The Nigerian side will begin its fourth-window campaign against Cameroon on August 27, followed by a clash with South Sudan on August 28, before rounding off its group fixtures against Cape Verde on August 30.
All three matches will be played in Rades, Tunisia, as D’Tigers seek to strengthen their position in the qualification race and move closer to earning a place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The NSC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the team and called on Nigerians to rally behind D’Tigers as they pursue the World Cup qualification objective.
