Basketball
Tiwa Savage Visits D’Tigress
D’Tigress camp received an August visitor on Sunday when Nigeria music sensation, Tiwa Savage paid an unscheduled visit to the team at their Protea Hotel abode.
The visit of the musician which was facilitated by a board member and athletes’ representative of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ejike Ugboaja was part of a welfare package put in place by the new NBBF board to motivate the team and aid their bonding ahead of the 2017 FIBA Afrobasket Tournament taking place in Mali.
It was unprecedented as it was the first time in the history of any basketball national team that a celebrity paid a visit to the team before an international competition.
Speaking during her visit, the Nigerian music star who is presently signed to Mavin Records took time to encourage the team to remain focused ahead of their FIBA assignment as they perfect plans to storm Mali in style and win the tournament.
“I am so elated that I had the opportunity to come here and associate with a team that has been getting some positive rating amongst sports loving Nigerians.
“As a major proponent of the girl/woman power, I so much believe in you to do Nigeria proud when you file out against other countries in Africa.”
Presently rated second in Africa, Tiwa Savage said she was glad to associate with the team which is being tipped by bookmakers to be a strong contender for the 2017 title.
She promised that a better arrangement will be made after the tournament to host the team irrespective of the result recorded at the championship.
“It’s really unfortunate that men are always enjoying a place of pride in Nigeria especially in the sports circle. I want to encourage and motivate you to go to Mali and prove a point and show Nigerians reasons why they should support you.”
She enjoined the team to see themselves as champions and ensure that they do everything possible to bring back the cup.
Responding on behalf of the team, Aisha Mohammed who was recently appointed the captain of the side described the visit as a pleasant surprise which they will relish for a long time to come.
Aisha who started her international career with the senior national team in 2001 said, “This visit has really given us another reason to want to bring the cup home at the end of the competition.
“This visit has clearly shown that we are appreciated by our fans and Nigerians home and abroad and we are desperate not to disappoint them. We want to repay their faith in us and the only way we can do that is to bring the cup back home.”
Since it was a training free day, the NBBF also organised a boat ride for the team led by Sam Vincent as they continue to bond on and off the court with few days to their opening game against Mozambique coming up on the 19th of August.
Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
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For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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