Musa Kida encourages D’Tigers inspired by champions D’Tigress

Pius Ayinor

The President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Musa Kida was with the men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, at training on Monday in Abuja, even as Nigerians focused their attention on the victorious D’Tigress, who just accomplished an unprecedented 5-peat. Kida who addressed the players at the Mo Arena where they have holed in to prepare for the men’s version of the AfroBasket told the players the way forward to a great result is by leaving nothing to chance.

“I am impressed by what I have seen and this looks a well structured side. We believe in you and I am sure you are up to the task ahead of us.

“We are here to give you the assurance in concrete terms that the Government and the people of Nigeria are interested in what you do are very supportive. You can draw inference from how it has worked with the ladies (D’Tigress). We are very confident that you can get the job done just as we do all that is possible to make your work easier.”

D’Tigers got into camp in Abuja over the weekend just as the Federal Government and Nigerians generally received the triumphant D’Tigress from Abidjan with national awards, flats and millions of naira. They are preparing for the African Nations Cup billed to take the tip off in Luanda, Angola from August 12. D’Tigers will start their campaign against Madagascar the following day.

A retired high-level basketballer that watched a few of their sessions in Abuja said their trainings are like real matches.

“We can all see what’s happening. This is the best time to win a trophy for Nigeria. The eagerness is real,” he said.

The Nigerian men won the African title in 2015 but have been runners up in 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2017. D’Tigers make the world headlines on the road to the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China as they became the first team in world to qualify for the competition. They qualified even with one Window of the qualifiers still left to be played. On the road to the Tokyo Olympics, they can still be remembered for the famous beating of the revered Team USA. Since their sad outing at the Tokyo Olympics, they have struggled to keep up to the high level they used to be.

The settings this time appears quite more conducive and could see the Tigers bite ferociously like their women have done so well for the past 10 years. The NBBF officials are working to have the two African trophies in Abuja are return the men to number one on the rankings as they used to be with D’Tigress.