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  • Sports - Basketball - All Teams
  • Updated: July 11, 2021

Nigeria vs USA Basketball: Sports Minister Hails D'Tigers, Confident Of Podium Finishes For Team Nigeria At Tokyo 2020

Nigeria vs USA Basketball: Sports Minister Hails D'Tigers, C

Nigeria vs USA Exhibition game. Photo Source: NBBF Media

Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare has hailed the Nigeria men's basketball team, D'Tigers for pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport when they defeated three-time reigning Olympic champion and the number one-ranked team in the world, Team USA in a pre-Tokyo Olympics opener.

“Every single player showed up for the game and collectively the team put up a ruthless execution of basketball skills. The team matched the highly rated American team skill for skill, shot for shot and in every department, the Nigerian team was on top of its game. Thank you, D Tigers for again announcing Nigeria's arrival on the basketball world with a bang,” the minister said according to a statement sent to AllNews by his media office on Sunday.

Dare continues: “Nigeria and Nigerians are proud of you. As the Olympics games proper beckons in a few days, we are confident in your skills and certain that you are up to the task. Just as we are sure of the female team, D' Tigress.”

Dare is confident Nigeria will surpass the feat achieved in 1996 at the XXVI edition of the Games in Atlanta.    

He adds: “Having this morale-boosting performance on the eve of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics is a positive signal that Team Nigeria will achieve podium finishes at the Games.             

“I am delighted with the progress our athletes are making in their respective sports, and I strongly believe we will have many of our athletes in strong medal positions at this Olympics and future international global events.”

Furthermore, Dare praised the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) for  the progress both the D'Tigers and D'Tigress have made.

"I said it about a week ago that basketball has been on the ascendancy in Nigeria in terms of the performance of the athletes  and the organisational ability of the NBBF. Now we are seeing a confirmation of what I said.

“The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development will continue to provide the enabling environment for sports to grow in Nigeria."                          

Dare believes sports will grow in geometrical propositions by the time the  Sports Industry Policy becomes operational and a number of key critical stakeholders key into it.         

“Last week I was in Bayelsa to watch our Olympic-bound wrestlers in their preparations for the games. I was delighted not only with the commitment of the wrestlers but also that of the government of Bayelsa state who is turning the state into the wrestling capital of Nigeria. I saw the wrestling gym under construction and this falls in line with one of the critical components of the Sports Industry Policy which is the provision and development of  infrastructures for sports,” said Dare.

Also, Dare expressed his pleasure with the progress athletes in track and field are making.             

"Our adopt-an-athlete initiative has greatly helped in bridging the funding gap for the athletes and their preparations, and the results we are seeing are testimonies of that. For the first time, two home-based track and field athletes on our adoption list achieved feats not witnessed on Nigerian soil in over two decades. Enoch Adegoke ran 10.00 seconds to win the 100m title at the Olympic trials in Lagos. That is the fastest time ever achieved by a home based athlete on Nigerian soil. Grace Nwokocha also ran 11.09 seconds in the women's 100m. It is also the fastest time ran by a home-based athlete here in Nigeria in over 20 years.”

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