D’Tigress beat Mali, qualify for 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup

D’Tigress celebrating their qualification for Sydney 2022 FIFA Women World Cup after beating Mali in Serbia…yesterday

• Dare, Kida eulogise ‘brave girls’

National senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, yesterday in Serbia, defeated Mali 73 to 69 to qualify for the 2022 FIBA World Cup scheduled to hold in Sydney, Australia, from September 22 to October 1.

Playing in Group D of the qualifiers, the Nigerian girls rose from a 76 to 90 defeat by China in their opening game to beat France 67 to 65 in their second game before yesterday’s victory over Mali confirmed their passage to Sydney.

24-year-old Nicole Enoabosi emerged the team’s top performer with 11 points, eight rebounds and one assist as the team clinched an automatic World Cup ticket.

Promise Amukamara was the creative force with eight assists and 10 points. Amy Okonkwo recorded 14 points while Atonye Nyingifa had 11 points.

Reacting to the team’s performance, Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, praised the team for doing the nation proud and showing dogged determination in all their games.

In his reaction, Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) President, Musa Kida, traced the team’s continued success to a longterm plan that started at the 2017 Afrobasket.

“We knew what we wanted and what we needed to do. In 2018 in Spain, they became the first team from Africa to win two games at the FIBA World Cup and also first out of Africa to advance to the quarter finals,” he said.

He added: “We are proud of what we have been able to achieve with this team and we are optimistic that the future can only be brighter with the young talents at our disposal.”

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