D’Tigress, Nigeria’s girls’s basketball workforce, has made historical past right now, Sunday, 4th August 2024, by reaching the first-ever Olympics quarterfinals.
D’Tigress defeated Canada 79-70 of their third group stage match to succeed in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.
It was a scintillating efficiency from D’Tigress, particularly for Ezinne Kalu, who emerged because the MVP of the match with 21 factors, 3 rebounds and three steals.
Their journey to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics began with a 75-62 over Australia earlier than falling to host France 54-75, however the D’Tigress didn’t quit, beating Canada within the ultimate group stage sport 79-70.
The outcomes additionally means, D’Tigress develop into the primary African workforce (male or feminine) to succeed in the quarterfinals of Olympic basketball.
First ever African workforce (Males or Girls) to play in #Olympics Quarter-Finals:
It is Nigeria! 🇳🇬#Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/pQCofpPXWq
— FIBA (@FIBA) August 4, 2024
How they did it:
Nigeria 75-62 AustraliaNigeria 54-75 FranceNigeria 79-70 Canada
About D’Tigress coach Rena Wakama
It has been a outstanding turnaround for 32-year-old Nigerian US returnee Rena Wakama, who has been the mind behind D’Tigress’s success since she took over the management of the workforce final yr.
Inside one yr of being in cost, Wakama has develop into:
– The first Feminine Coach to win an Afrobasket title.
– The first Coach to Lead Nigeria in defeating a High 3 rated workforce (Australia) on the Olympics.
– The first Coach to offer D’Tigress a win for the primary time in 20 years (since 2004)
Rena Wakama was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba, who’re natives of Okrika, Rivers State, Nigeria.
She holds a bachelor’s diploma in Therapeutic Recreation from Western Carolina College and a grasp’s diploma in Enterprise Administration from Manhattan School.
She wasn’t born in Africa however the Africa in her introduced her again to the continent. That is how one can come again residence to construct Africa and African sports activities.
