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By Godwin Aikigbe
Nigerian table tennis icon and record seven-time Olympian Olufunke Oshonaike was thrilled by D’Tigress’ performance against Germany in a pre-Olympic warm-up match in Berlin on Friday.
The 50-year-old travelled from her base in Hamburg to Berlin to cheer on the girls, who didn’t disappoint despite losing 77-63 to the Europeans at the UBER Arena.
She shared her excitement in an Instagram post on Saturday: “I went to support the D’Tigress Olympic-bound basketball players yesterday in Berlin. They played a friendly match against Germany to prepare them for the Olympic Games in Paris, and I am so impressed. Apart from the fact that they played well, I love the unity, teamwork, and love for one another. They are sure good ambassadors for Nigeria. I am super proud of them. Let’s go, Team Nigeria.”
The African champions are ranked 12th globally by FIBA, while Germany are ranked 19th.
D’Tigress, who have won a record four consecutive women’s AfroBasket titles, have their work cut out in the Group of the Olympics women’s basketball tournament against Canada, Australia, and France.
The African giants will kick off their campaign on July 29 against Australia, who are ranked No. 3 in the world, with Canada fifth and France seventh, all above Nigeria.
The African champions are making their second consecutive appearance at the Games after participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Nigeria will be aiming to rumple some feathers and secure their first-ever win in the Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.
D’Tigress made their debut at the 2004 edition in Athens, where they lost all five games and conceded over 400 points.
At Tokyo 2020, they were defeated 87-62 by France in their first game before further losses to the US (81-72) and Japan (102-83), respectively.
Despite failing to secure a win in Tokyo, they impressed with their performances, sparking hope of a bright future.