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By Johnny Edward
D’Tigress coach, Rena Wakama, has released a squad list of 15 players to represent Nigeria at the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgium, SUNDAY PUNCH reports.
The FIBA Olympics qualifying tournament is scheduled to tip off from February 8 to 11 in Antwerp with 16 teams competing for 12 places at this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wakama who led D’Tigress to a fourth straight Afrobasket championship defeating Senegal 84-74 in the final recalled Dynamo Kyiv point guard, Promise Amukamara, to the squad after she missed out on D’Tigress Afrobasket triumph due to injury.
She also listed two players Akaraiwe Nkem from Customs and Donanu Regina of MFM from the Nigerian Women Basketball League.
Other named in the squad are Ejiofor Blessing (Nice, France), Ebo Lauren (Turgutly, Turkey), Kunayi-Akpanah Pallas (Campobasso, Italy), Musa Murjarnatu (Celta Zorka, Spain), Enabosi Nicole (Toulouse, France), Adeyeye Adebola (Cor Trinth Basket, France).
The list also included Okonkwi Amy (St Amand, France), Balogun Elizabeth (Bembibre, Spain), Taiwo Oluwatomi Yemisi (Ex Tou, USA), Sarah Ogoke (Women’s United, USA), Okoro Ifunnaya (Tintastoll, Iceland), Abiola Olatoyosi (Ex Arkansas, USA).
D’Tigress qualified automatically for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament as winners of the 2023 Women’s Afrobasket in Rwanda and will face host, United States and Senegal in Group A.
The top three teams in the group qualify for the Olympics in Paris.
Nigeria’s first game comes up against Senegal on February 8 before taking on the United States the following day. Their last group game is against Belgium on February 11.
A total of 16 teams will participate in one of four global FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments taking place from February 8 to 11, 12 of them, including the host (France) and the winner of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (USA), will qualify to the Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.
Wakama, in 2023 made history becoming the first female coach to win the women’s Afrobasket championship since inception in 1966.
