The federal government has charged the national female basketball team the D’Tigress to ensure they maintain the lead even as they trounced Egypt 83 points to 65 in their second Group D match on Sunday.
The Ministry of Sport said this in a statement issued by its spokesperson Mohammed Manga, on Monday.
According to the statement, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ismaila Abubakar commended the team for their excellent performance since the beginning of the tournament.
News.ng on Sunday reported that the DTigress, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, qualified for the 2023 Afro Basket Women’s Championship quarterfinals.
The team who are the 2021 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Champions, defeated arch-rivals Egypt 83 – 65 at the BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda.
However, in the statement Mr Abubakar, informed the team that sports-loving Nigerians are glued to the competition, especially following their recent performance
“As a nation, we want to remind you that we are following and monitoring your exceptional performances in all the events our athletes are participating in.
“So far, you are doing great. We are proud of you and we want you to go all out, fully determined to maintain the lead and raise our nation’s flag high by recording podium finishes. We are solidly behind you. We commend you for making the country proud. Continue to maintain the lead” he said.
Mr Abubakar, therefore, called on all Nigerians both at home and abroad to pray for the nation’s athletes to ensure podium finishes in all their competitions.
Winning streak
Team Nigeria began their game with a victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nigeria won the first and second quarters by scores of 10-18 and 13-24, respectively, while Egypt won the third quarter 19-14. To close the game, D’Tigress won the fourth quarter 23-27.
D’Tigress, Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, has advanced to the quarterfinal stage of the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket competition in Kigali, Rwanda.
Nigeria has now defeated Egypt three times in a row, having previously defeated the North Africans in 2015 and 2017. D’Tigress has won five continental titles, including the last three AfroBasket women’s competitions.