D’Tigress breaks off from the sour losing pattern of Nigerian athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Until a spectacular 75-62 points victory against Australia in women's basketball came in the morning, where the confidence initially lay in terms of room for medals was athletics simply because this is where a proven champion Tobi Amusan would be competing.
Ever since Nigeria’s campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics kickstarted four days ago, there have only been losses until a marvellous D’Tigress victory against Australia paved the way for much optimism in the country earlier today.
The last time the female national basketball team won a game at an Olympic event was 20 years ago when they met South Korea and triumphed by a small margin of 68–64 points, which was just enough to earn the girls an 11th-place spot.
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Now very much improved after a couple of decades, the world has been terming the latest success against an Australian opponent globally rated as the third-best, to be what should be in the history books.
A total of 13 points were what separated D’Tigress from the Opals during the Monday 29 July 2024 fixture. The latter did not display their usual shining colours which got their victory over the Nigerians at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. Then, they won by a 12-point margin which D’Tigress has now surpassed.
The International Basketball Federation reacting to today’s victory by the Nigerians asked a question about a possible biggest upset of the Olympics so far. Players like Ezinne Kalu, Amukamara Promise and Okonkwo Amy had been in the heart of the shots-taking and earning 19, 14 and 13 points between them.
At this year’s Olympics in France, Team Nigeria is taking part in 12 sporting activities including boxing, swimming, badminton and athletics.
Until a spectacular victory against Australia came in the morning, where the confidence initially lay in terms of room for medals was athletics which is simply because this is where a proven champion Tobi Amusan would be competing.
Even though Nigeria’s female football team the Super Falcons haven’t impressed, it does not exclude the fact that it is the women representatives that hold a better promise of winning honours in Paris, and this is because they had the most qualifications to participate in events compared to the men.
This time out at the Olympics, the men won’t be partaking in football and for a country like Nigeria rated for its activeness in the sport, this is a blow. It is a fact that the country’s number-one sport would be giving no joy because the output had been low.
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Basketball, particularly the women’s version, has been on a steady rise to prominence over the past few years. So far, it is looking like this is where the shouts from the Team Nigeria fans will be the loudest if 32-year-old head coach Rena Wakama and her girls can maintain the sharp, resolute psyche that gave them the upper hand over a subdued Australian side.
All over Africa, Miss Wakama’s team have been champions judging by their last four appearances at the AfroBasket Women’s tournament played every two years. Now, they have a point to prove on a global stage and only have precisely 14 days to make it happen.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
