Jubril Baba, assistant coach of D’Tigers, the country’s national men’s basketball team has explained that the current crop of players being paraded in Ruanda at the ongoing continental tourney are essentially hungry to make name for themselves.
He spoke at the sidelines of the maiden edition of the Ex-Pro Kwara Secondary School Basketball League at the stadium in Ilorin after being prompted on his take on national women basketball team’s performance in Rwanda.
D’Tigress have qualified for the final of the ongoing 2023 FIBA women’s Afrobasket in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Nigerians defeated Rwanda, the hosts, 79-48 in the semifinals on Thursday to achieve the feat for the fourth consecutive time.
He said:”D’Tigress are very hungry, apparently and already to snap up any opportunity given to them and we must also remember that the team are the defending champion.
” Maybe not all of them previously in the team are there now. The new players are seeking to make name for themselves.
“When you have been the champion before, you don’t want to settle for anything less,” he explained.
According to him,the consistency of Nigerian athletes in the game could also be due to the steady growth of Basketball in country despite odds.
“Basketball is growing in the country, currently, it is the second team sports after football.
“As you can see even in Kwara, the Kwara Falcons represented Kwara State at the continent,” he added.
Speaking on the Ex-Pro basketball tournament, the coach commended the sponsors and organizers, saying it will further deepen the sports in the grassroots.
He added:”This is how to give back to the grassroots. Wherever the sponsors are I am sure they will be happy. And this also shows that they remember their roots, where they came from.
” I am happy with this development. At least, this will spore others to do more for basketball development in the state and the country”, Coach Baba said.
