Buhari congratulates D’Tigress on African Basketball victory

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the national female basketball team, D’Tigress, for winning the 2017 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament in Mali and qualifying for the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain.

The President’s congratulatory message was signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina in Abuja, on Monday.

Buhari joined other sports-loving Nigerians in saluting the heroic performance of the victorious D’Tigress over their Senegalese counterpart in the final of the 2017 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament on Sunday.

The President commended the players for displaying “uncommon strength, confidence, skill and dexterity in their victory over the defending champions.’’

He urged members of the team and their handlers to remain focused and dedicated even as they prepared for greater glory to Nigeria at the forthcoming FIBA World Cup.

President Buhari assured the team, its managers and the Nigeria Basketball Federation of his support and that of the Federal Government to ensure that they excel against other top competitors in Spain.

The Nigeria’s senior women basketball team, D’Tigress, on Sunday in Bamako, Mali, restored the nation’s lost glory in the Women Afrobasket having defeated defending champions, Senegal to clinch the title for the third time after 12 years.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the D’Tigress walloped their Senegalese counterparts 65-48 points to beat them a second time in the championship.

NAN reports that the team recorded no loss in all their games to the final in the 2017 edition after they had won it last in 2005. They first won it in 2003.