Olopade urges D’Tigers to excel ahead of Afrobasket qualifiers in Libya

By Olaolu Joseph

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has urged Nigeria’s Senior Men’s Basketball Team, D’Tigers, to deliver a strong and committed performance at the final window of the Afrobasket Qualifiers in Libya.

With support from the NSC, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) successfully facilitated the team’s arrival in Tripoli for the crucial qualifiers.

“I am confident that the NBBF and the coaching crew have selected a strong and technically balanced squad for the country, blending both foreign-based and home-based players,” Hon. Olopade said.

“Basketball is one of our traditional sports as a country, and we have achieved tremendous success over the years. Therefore, it is essential to continue giving it the attention it deserves from the Commission.”

He also highlighted the NSC’s broader commitment to developing all sports under the leadership of Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko.

“At the Commission, I want to reiterate that the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and I are fully committed to the growth of all sports. We will continue to demonstrate this through proper preparations for all our national teams at international competitions.”

“There has been a paradigm shift since the rebirth of the Sports Commission, with detailed attention given to every sport. We demonstrated this with cricket when our U-19 girls played at the World Cup in Malaysia earlier this year and, more recently, with badminton at the All Africa Championship in Cameroon.”

Olopade also called on Nigerians to rally behind D’Tigers, expressing confidence in the team’s ability to embody the competitive spirit that defines Nigerian sports.

Nigeria’s final 12-man squad for the qualifiers in Tripoli will be led by Olympians Caleb Agada and team captain Ike Nwamu as they battle for a spot in the Afrobasket tournament.