Basketball
NIGERIA CAN BE A TOP TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NATION, SAYS CENTRE AKHATOR
BY MICHAEL HOUSTON
Nigerian centre Evelyn Akhator has said that she believes her women’s national basketball team can become a top 10 side internationally after a prominent rise in the world rankings.
Recently qualified for its second Olympic Games after making its debut at Athens 2004, Nigeria have won back-to-back International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Women’s AfroBasket titles on their way to qualifying for Tokyo 2020.
Nigeria’s women’s team won its first FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup match in 2018 and went on to qualify for the Games with a win against Mozambique after twice coming close to defeat top nations the United States and Serbia.
Since August 2017, the team has been undefeated in Africa starting with a defeat of Mozambique and after going into the 2017 AfroBasket tournament as 42nd in the world, they have since risen to 14th in less than three years and Akhator has said they will become a top 10 side in no time.
“I see Nigeria getting to the top and becoming a top 10 country in basketball,” said Akhator.
“Nobody would have thought we would be a top 20 team and now we are number 14 in the world.
Nigeria nearly recorded a famous win against the Olympic and world champions United States in a 71-76 defeat, only stopped by a last quarter comeback from the Americans.
More than anything, the focus towards the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, moved to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has Akhator excited about the prospect.
She added: “Hearing the word ‘Olympics’ itself was a motivation for us to fight.
“We were not ready to wait another four years before earning another spot to qualify for the Olympics while the ticket was right in our faces so we had to do what we can to grab it.
“I always believe I would get to the Olympics from the day I started playing for the national team and I am glad it all came to pass.
“Going to Tokyo has always been my dream considering the fact that I watch lots of Japanese movies and I am excited I will be going there next year.”
With the 2021 Women’s AfroBasket coming closely after the Tokyo Games, Akhator understands the difficulties that could come next year, but is ready to be sensible.
She said: “I think playing and listening to my body as well as surrounding myself with positivity will keep me focused.
“I know the window between the Olympics and the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket is really short but it still will make us stay fully in shape mentally, physically and also locked into the plays and the teams.”
If Nigeria win a third consecutive AfroBasket title, they will be the second nation to do so after Senegal who won four back-to-back titles from 1974 to 1981.
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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.
Here is FIBA’s analysis: The return of the Tokyo Olympian has been a blessing for Abdulrahman Mohammed’s Nigeria.
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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