Abakaliki, Nigeria – Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi has rewarded Miss Blessing Ejifor, a player with the D’Tigress Basketball Team, with a state honour, N30 million and a house (a Duplex) at the Civil and Public Servant Estate.

Nwifuru announced the rewards on Friday at the EXCO chambers when he received Ejiofor, an indigene of the state and talented professional basketball player.

D’Tigress recently won their fifth consecutive AfroBasket which was celebrated as a historic achievement for the country.

Ejiofor is a centre player for D’Tigress with an impressive track record in international basketball.

A key figure in D’Tigress’ successes, Ejiofor has helped cement Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s basketball.

She honed her skills at Vanderbilt University, Chipola College, and West Virginia University, where she earned Academic All-Big 12 First Team honours.

Her professional career includees stints with clubs in Spain and France, and she represented Nigeria at the 2024 Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament in Paris.

The governor rewarded her achievement with the prestigious award as member “Ebonyi hall of fame”, N30 million cash gift and a duplex.

He expressed satisfaction over her efforts and directed that N50 million would be released to the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Mr Richard Idike, to build a standard basketball court.

He said that the court would enable younger basketball players train ahead of the next season.

“You are a great ambassador. Congratulations, Miss Blessing,” Nwifuru said.

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Aug. 4, 2025: Retired Col. Sam Ahmedu, a member of the FIBA Africa Executive Committee, has commended Nigeria’s national women basketball team for winning the FIBA women’s Afrobasket title for a record fifth time.

FIBA is the world governing body of basketball.

The Nigerian team also known as D’Tigress defeated Mali, 78-64, on Sunday at the Palais des Sports, Treichville, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire for the title.

Ahmedu, also the President of FIBA Africa Zone 3, said in a statement on Monday in Abidjan that the Nigerian team had been consistent in their dominance of Africa due to the dedication and commitment of the players in these past years.

“In addition to earlier Afrobasket Championship victories in 2003 and 2005, and since the D’Tigres defeated Angola in a third place game in Cameroon in 2015, they have not lost any game against any African opposition.

“Thus, the team has remained unbeaten in 29 games, with an unprecedented fifth FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title’’ he said. Ahmedu, also a board member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), said D’Tigress showed resilience in all games played in Côte d’Ivoire.

“The team started slowly in a couple of games but picked themselves up on all occasions. In some games, they started slowly but picked themselves up when it mattered most, finishing each game on a high note,’’ he said.

According to Ahmedu, the D’Tigress has set a record in Africa and believes the team will go places.

“I wish them good luck as they prepare for the FIBA Women’s World Cup,’’ he added.

Nigeria, Mali, Senegal and South Sudan will participate in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers next year.

Lagos, Aug. 14, 2024: An American basketball coach, Marvin Menzies, has lauded the Nigerian national women’s basketball team, the D’Tigress, for their outstanding performances at the just-ended 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The D’Tigress won two games against Australia, Canada and lost to France and the U.S. to become the first African team to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games.

Menzies, who is the Head Coach, men’s basketball team at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, U.S. and is in Lagos to run a clinic for Nigerian coaches for M2 Academy (M-Squared Academy), said on Wednesday he was impressed with the games played by the D’Tigress.

“I had the chance to watch the Nigerian team before the Olympic Games when they won the FIBA Africa Women’s Tournament in Kigali, Rwanda in 2023.

“In their last game against the U.S., they got dominated, but it was a valiant effort, I think they fought like tigresses, they didn’t give up,’’ he said.

According to the coach, the Nigerian team gained a lot of experience from the Olympic Games.

He said that from the performances of the Nigerian team, Africa has a great future in basketball.

“Africa has great potential in the game. One of the reasons I visit the continent is to help educate and enhance the development of the younger generation that these coaches represent the academies they are affiliated to.

“This is a fantastic opportunity that teaches younger kids because the genetics, the discipline, the mindset is the hunger, the passion that exists in this region is really untapped.

“There has been some great leadership here and some great investments in supporting them, but I think the more they are supported, the better they will perform,’’ he said.

Menzies said he would do similar training/coaching clinics in some African countries this summer before returning to the U.S.

.

By Tony Nezianya (Media Officer, Team Nigeria)

The 75-62 overwhelming victory of D’Tigress, the lowest ranked team in the Paris 2024 Olympic women’s basketball tournament over their Australian counterparts has lifted the morale of other members of Team Nigeria.

To Nigerians, especially Team Nigeria at the Games, this is a great victory as their morale had started waning following misfortunes in their earlier outings.

“This is a great victory,’’ remarked Engineer Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) after the basketball game.

According to him the victory could not have come at a better time than at a moment of low morale in the face of strong bad news coming in quick succession.

The Table Tennis team through Aruna Quadri, Omotayo Olajide, Fatima Bello and Eden Offiong all lost in the round of 64 in the singles.

There were also losses in boxing. But by far the most dampening was the adverse doping violation by Cynthia Ogunsemilore, 60 kg.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has since ordered that Ogunsemilore be evicted from the Games Village.

The Falcons also posted two uninspiring results to add to the many woes building up to dampen the enthusiasm in the camp of the Nigerians.

“I felt relieved when the basketball victory came to ease off the tension that was beginning to build up,’’ Gumel said.

“I congratulate them and extend warm felicitations on account of their effort to demonstrate focus,’’ the NOC president said.

Emma Igbonosa, Technical Director, Nigeria Cycling Federation, said the basketball team offered a relief because not many saw the victory coming.

The defeat of Australians was not easy apparently because of their top ranking as the number three against the 16th ranking of the D’Tigress going into the Games.

Opeyori Anuoluwapo, Captain of Team Nigeria, said the victory of the basketball team came in at the nick of time to renergise other sport teams.

It is hoped that Team Nigeria would consolidate on this morale booster to show class in the other events where they are to feature.

Nigeria’s D’Tigress have started their Paris 2024 Olympics campaign on an impressive note, stunning world number three Australia in the women’s basketball event of the Games. 

The Nigerian girls won the Monday basketball encounter 75-62 in the French city of Lille.

The D’Tigress had an 11-0 run to end the first half on a good note, getting a 13-point advantage. That proved to be okay to keep the Opals of Australia at bay with Amy Okonkwo getting a triple to make things better for coach Rena Wakama’s charges.

Nigeria’s Ezinne Kalu was impressive on the day and fired 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals to make her return to the side since playing at the  Tokyo 2020 Games.

The Opals spilled the ball 26 times in the match, giving Nigeria a staggering 26 points from turnovers.

Monday’s win is Nigeria’s second victory in the Women’s Olympic Basketball tournament. The first was in 2004 when they beat South Korea 68-64. But it is the D’Tigress’ maiden win in nine preliminary rounds.

The defeat is Australia’s second in their opening game of a Women’s Olympic Basketball event for the second time on the bounce. They had before then claimed victory in their past six games.

Nigeria is now the first African country to have defeated Australia in 12 games at the World Cup and Olympics.