D'Tigers
Igoche Mark, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has charged the Nigeria Female Basketball team, D’ Tigress, to make the country proud at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Serbia.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the D’ Tigress would face France, China and Mali in Group B, in Belgrade, Serbia, for a chance to pick a ticket to the World Cup in Australia.
Mark gave the charge on the side lines of the ongoing Mark ‘D’ Men’s Basketball Championship, at the Indoor Sports Hall, Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, on Sunday.
The three-month long championship, which dunked off with 24 participating teams on Sunday, would end in April.
The NBBF boss used the opportunity to wish the D’ Tigress all the best in the qualifiers, pledging to ensure that they were paid all their outstanding bonuses as the new board was poised to make their issues top priority.
NAN recalled that the House Committee on Sports, had in November, 2021, mandated the Musa Kida-led NBBF board to pay the team $50,000 USD dollars being outstanding bonuses and allowances owed the D’ Tigress since 2018.
“This is to wish the D’ Tigress all the best as they go to make Nigeria proud once again in Serbia at the World Cup Qualifiers.
“Our prayers are with you and be rest assured that the new face of Basketball has come to stay.
“We have heard your appeal and we are going to handle all your issues, all your outstanding, allowances your debts are going to be paid as soon as possible. We are working on it, but for now, please go make us proud,” he said.
Ranked 16th in the world and first in Africa, the D’ Tigress will kick off their campaign against 7th-ranked China on Feb. 10, before facing 5th-ranked France a day later and rounding off against 41st-ranked Mali on Feb. 13.
The qualifying tournament would start on Feb. 10 and end on Feb. 13.
Mark emerged NBBF president on Monday, at an election conducted in Abuja, while Musa Kida was also elected for the same position at a parallel election same day in Benin, Edo state. (NAN)
