D’Tigers players confident of victory at Afrobasket Cup

Three home-based D’Tigers players, who debut for the senior national male basketball team at Stankovic Cup in China, have expressed confidence in Nigeria clinching the Afrobasket Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire in August.

Nigeria clinched the third position at the second stage of the Cup held between June 27 and July 9 in Guangzhou, China.

The national team players told newsmen in Lagos that they were happy of being part of the bronze medal winning squad at the Cup.

The players noted that the exposure they had during the competition had imparted positively on them, and they commended the Nigeria Basketball Federation for the opportunity.

Nkem Ojougboh, the Captain of Comets Club of Lagos, said that with the exposure, they were confident that Nigeria would clinch the forthcoming Afrobasket Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire.

“For me, the experience I had at the Stankovic Cup is unforgettable and it will help me to do better in other international competitions.

“I had a wonderful experience playing with other quality players from other clubs, most especially foreign clubs.

“We had two weeks training camp in Abuja before we left for China. It was great getting used to other players and understanding the drills of the national team.

“We have a good chance of doing well in Abidjan, considering our next camp coming up in the U.S. The drilling and training would make us as well prepared,’’ Ojougboh said.

In the same vein, Micheal Ohiero, a guard for Mark Mentors Club of Abuja, described his experience as a great one, saying they wanted to do better than coming third in the competition.

“We came third in the Cup in China, we could have done better, but it was still a brilliant outing for us.

“We have a better chance of doing well in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, if we continue with the crop of players we have.

“I believe in my teammates and the coaching crew and also in the federation in all that is being done for our successful outing in Abidjan,’’ Ohiero said.

Contributing, Yahaya Abdulwahab, a forward player for Mark Mentors, said that it was a great experience of being selected to play for Nigeria as a home-based player.

“The basics that I have learnt playing in the local league were very vital to my role with the national team.

“We are going to have a better chance of doing well in Abidjan when we come back together to train and practice with much time at our advantage.

“We just have two weeks of rest before we get back to camp in Orlando, Florida, U.S., where we will be together for another four weeks.

“This is good enough for us to know one another better and understand the game strategies that we will use to conquer in Abidjan,’’ Abdulwahab said.

The two Mark Mentors players also affirmed their confidence in their team’s chances of excelling in the DStv/Final Four playoff coming up later in the year in Lagos.