Youth and Sports Development Minister Sunday Dare has hailed the national men’s basketball team, D’Tigers following their historic defeat of Team USA in the pre- Toyo 2020 exhibition played in the early hours of yesterday (Nigerian time).
Three-time reigning Olympic champion and the number one-ranked team in the world, Team USA, had never lost a basketball match to an African nation until Saturday night in Las Vegas, with Nigeria pulling off one of the sport’s greatest shocks with a 90-87 victory against a star-studded US side.
The minister noted: “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.”
“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”.
“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,’ said the Minister who is confident Nigeria will surpass the feat achieved in 1996 at the XXVI edition of the Games in Atlanta.
”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,” the Minister further added even as he praised the Nigeria Basketball Federation for the progress both the D’Tigers and D’Tigress.
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