D’Tigers For China Tour, Play Britain In America

In order to ensure that Nigeria’s senior Basketball team, D’Tigers perform excellently at the Olympics Playoff tournament in Venezuela in July, Tijani Umar, the President of Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF says plans are in place for the team to go on training tour of China and America.

During the tour, D’Tigers are to play against Great Britain in the United States invitational tournament.

Speaking to P.M.Sports in Abuja, Umar said that the federation will not relent in its efforts to see that Nigeria has a good representation at the Olympic Playoff tournament in Venezuela. He said it is in line with the ambition that the D’Tigers will embark on a training tour of China by end of May and early June, where the team will play against top rated teams in China.

“The Federation wants the D Tigers to qualify for the Olympics. We are preparing them for the Playoff tournament in Venezuela, where 12 best teams that did not qualify automatically will test their might for the 2012 Olympic tickets.

“Only three teams will qualify from the Playoff for the Olympic Games.

“After playing some teams in China, the team will continue their training tour to the US, where D’Tigers will slug it out with Great Britain and Russia in friendly games.

“The Federation is looking forward to these games because Britain are hosting the Olympics, while Russia are also contesting for an Olympics ticket at the Playoff tournament in Venezuela”, Umar said.

He further revealed that the Federation will open the team’s camp this weekend in Lagos with the home-based players as they await the arrival of their foreign-based counterparts later.

“We are expecting a squad of 18 players in camp”, he concluded.

By Francis Achi/Abuja