D’Tigress will get best preparation for Rio 2016 play-off, says Umar

President of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar, has said that the federation would do everything possible to ensure qualification of the female basketball team (D Tigress) for the Rio 2016 Olympic.

Umar who noted that D’Tigress had a good outing at the just concluded 2015 AfroBasketball championship in Cameroun despite finishing third, stated that the girls still have what it takes to contend favorably with any team within and outside the shores of Africa.

The NBBF boss also said that the female team excellent performance at the Congo 2015 All Africa Games is a moral boaster for the girls to get the 2016 Olympic ticket. He is optimistic that the girls will prove a point in Brazil if Nigeria qualifies.

Umar added that it would be good omen for Nigeria basketball if the female team join their male counterparts who have already booked their ticket after winning the 2015 FIBA AfroBasketball championship in Tunisia.

According to Umar, the NBBF will keep monitoring situation in D’Tigress camp saying: “Our mission is to rally round the team and seek for financial assistance from sponsors to ensure the girls get the best preparation to forge ahead in the qualifiers.

“From my own standpoint D’Tigress are the best team in Africa not withstanding coming second and third in the AAG and the Afrobasketball championship respectively. Parading both the male and female basketball teams at Rio 2016 Olympics will show to the world that game of basketball is fast developing in Nigeria,” he said.