Nigeria’s women basketball national team coach, Otis Hughley has released a list of 14 D’Tigress players for camping ahead of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (FIBAOQT) scheduled for Serbia in February.
Nigeria’s D’Tigress are expected to commence camping on Saturday, 1st of February in Belgrade.
2019 Afrobasket MVP Ezinne Kalu who leads the team on a mission to Belgrade spoke to FIBA on the #FIBAOQT and what playing for Nigeria means to her: “I want to bring pride, heart & determination. I know my teammates feed off my energy. I want everyone to know that I live for the green & white, I sweat for these colours, I bleed for these colours.”
She is joined on the list by Italy based Ifunanya Ibekwe, Promise Amukamara (France), Sarah Imovbioh (Belgium) and Spain based Elo Edeferioka. Others include Evelyn Akhator, Aisha Balarabe, Pallas Kunaiyi Akpannah, Atonye Nyingifa, Victoria Macaulay and team captain, Adaora Elonu as they all prepare for the FIBAOQT campaign having missed out on the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.
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Elizabeth Balogun with Louisville University may be handed her first national team debut alongside 2019 Zenith Bank Women Basketball League’s Most Valuable Player, Musa Murjanantu.
Fellow point guard, Sarah Ogoke has also been recalled to the team to replace Upe Atosu.
The team under the tutelage of Otis Hughley will camp for 5 days before they start their campaign against host – Serbia, World Champions and already qualified – United States of America (USA) and Mozambique with two Olympic tickets up for grabs.
In a related development, the head coach of Air Warriors of Abuja, Samson Sotuminu and that of MFM of Lagos, Aderemi Adewunmi will also be on the train to Belgrade as members of the Technical crew.
Their latest appointment came on the backdrop of their heroics last season in the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League. Sotuminu guided league debutants – Air Warriors to the 2019 title while Adewunmi’s tactical acumen saw MFM snatch a continental ticket after narrowly losing in the final.
