As Rwanda prepares to host the 2023 Afrobasket Championship, concerns are mounting in the basketball community that foreign-based female players may choose not to join the Nigerian national team camp.
Nigeria, the second most successful women’s basketball nation in Africa after Senegal, is expected to compete in the tournament scheduled to take place in Kigali from July 28 to August 6, 2023.
This apprehension stems from the fallout of the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw the Nigerian women’s basketball team, known as D’Tigress, from the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
The withdrawal occurred amidst a leadership crisis within the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), and some players had vowed not to represent the country again. To compound matters, Nigeria’s World Cup slot was subsequently given to Mali by FIBA, the international governing body for basketball.
In response to these concerns, Babs Ogunade, the Vice President of the NBBF, stated that the D’Tigress camp would be open to all eligible women basketball players who are willing to compete for a spot on the team. He emphasized that preparations were underway to ensure D’Tigress can effectively defend their title in Kigali, and the NBBF would approach the players listed for the competition to gauge their interest in joining the team.
During the recent draw held in Maputo, Mozambique, D’Tigress was placed in Group D alongside Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other groups consist of Rwanda, Angola, the winner of the Zone Three qualifying competition, Cameroun, Mozambique, and a yet-to-be-named wild card team, as well as Senegal, Mali, and Uganda.
D’Tigress has an impressive track record, having won the last three editions of the Women’s Afrobasket championship. They have remained undefeated in every African competition since 2017. The team claimed their first title in Bamako in 2017, followed by a second triumph in Dakar in 2019, and completed the hat-trick in Cameroun in 2021.
With preparations in full swing, the Nigerian basketball federation is determined to assemble a competitive team to maintain their dominance in African women’s basketball and make a strong statement at the forthcoming Afrobasket Championship in Rwanda.
