D’Tigress point guard, Promise Amukamara has restated the importance of funding for the team in their quest to compete favourably against some of the best at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Speaking from her base in France, the 36th overall WNBA overall draft pick (2015) said to get the best out of the players and turn them into a cohesive unit, long term preparation is needed which is hinged on heavy funding.
D’Tigress recently concluded a 10 day camping exercise in Atlanta, USA in line with the Nigeria Basketball Federation decision to start early preparation for the games.
According to the 2019 Afrobasket winner, ‘to whom much is expected, much must be given’.
“My expectation from the federation and the government is for them to provide us with the right funding so that we can prepare well for the Olympics. I know on our schedule, we have a lot of preparation games before the Olympics and I think all those preparation games will be beneficial to us to do well in the Olympics.”
With a back to back Afrobasket title, quarter final finish at the 2018 World Cup and an Olympics ticket, the 27 year old point guard is confident in the ability of the team to make Nigerians and Africans proud at the Tokyo 2020 games.
“I think we have a great team, great coaching staff to do well at the Olympics, but to get to that stage, it requires funding. If we get that, everything will be good and the sky will be the limit for us.”
Currently ranked first in Africa and 14th in the world, D’Tigress is the only African team that will be competing in the basketball event.
Apart from their men’s counterpart, D’Tigress grouped alongside world number one- USA, France (5th) and Japan (10th), under Coach Otis Hughley will also be the only team out of Nigeria competing in Tokyo.
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