Nigeria: NBBF to Select D'Tigress Players From Three Tryouts

3 July 2023
Premium Times (Abuja)
By Jide Alaka

The NBBF is in a rush to raise a team to represent Nigeria at the AfroBasket tournament, which kicks off in Kigali on 29 July

Last week, there was a surprising announcement regarding the appointment of Rena Wakama as the new coach for Nigeria's senior women's basketball team, D'Tigress, replacing Otis Hughley.

Additionally, it was revealed on Sunday that the Musa Kida-led Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) is organising an open camp to select the players who will represent Nigeria in the AfroBasket tournament, commencing on 28 July 28 in Kigali.

Rena Wakama, aged 30, is expected to lead the coaching team that will choose the players after accepting the NBBF offer.

She expressed her excitement about this new journey on Twitter, stating, "God doesn't call on the qualified. He qualifies the called. Excited for this new journey! Thank you for all of the calls, messages, and well-wishes. Let's get to work."

The NBBF plan entails an open tryout for female basketball players, inviting all interested players to take part, and the best performers during the tryouts will be chosen to represent Nigeria in the upcoming AfroBasket Women's tournament.

The NBBF is going down this route because of the subtle disbandment of the team that qualified for the World Cup before the former sports minister Sunday Dare announced Nigeria's withdrawal from all international basketball activities in May 2022.

In response, the Federation of International Basketball (FIBA) banned the country and replaced D'Tigress with Mali.

It is considered that the NBBF chose to pursue this path because of the subtle dissolution of the team that qualified for the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

This is after the former sports minister, Sunday Dare, announced Nigeria's withdrawal from all international basketball activities in May 2022. Consequently, the Federation of International Basketball (FIBA) imposed a ban on the country and replaced D'Tigress with Mali in the competition.

All tryouts are scheduled to take place from 8 July to 11 July, with sessions in Chicago on 8 and 9 July, the National Stadium in Surulere on 8 and 9 July, and at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on 10 and 11 July. The coaching staff and scouts will be present at the tryouts to evaluate the players.

D'Tigress head to Kigali as three-time defending champions, but their chances of making it four consecutive titles have been dealt a blow by the NBBF's shoddy preparations. The team has been undefeated in the tournament since 2 October 2015, when they lost to Cameroon in the semi-final.

Four groups of three teams each will battle it out at the BK Arena in Kigali from 28 July to 6 August.

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