TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigeria’s D’Tigress lost 81-72 to six-time Olympic champions USA in a Group B match played in Saitama yesterday.
It was a brave performance from the African champions who were less than two weeks ago beaten by the same USA 93-62 in an exhibition game in Las Vegas.
The Americans paraded a roster full of WNBA stars including no less than 15 previous gold medalists.
Since losing at the Barcelona ‘92 Olympics, the US women have now gone 50 games without defeat at the Olympics.
But they will be asking themselves how a Nigerian side they recently defeated by 31 points, came close to creating the greatest upset in Olympic women’s basketball history.
Speaking on the team’s performance against the Americans, Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, praised D’Tigress for the good show despite conceding defeat to the champions.
“I watched the game from the start to the end. Every moment,” said the Minister who was at the match venue. “I saw players who can fight and they fought.
Team USA led by 20 points at the end of the third quarter, using their size advantage to subdue the Nigerians.
But a fourth-quarter revival by D’Tigress saw the Nigerians reduce the deficit to just five points at a stage in the contest before a late surge from the US rescued the day for the world champions.
“From 20 points disadvantage, I saw them climb back steadily the height, built of the Americans notwithstanding,” said Dare, before expressing confidence about D’Tigress’ chances in their next game against France on Friday.
“The next game will be better. I trust them. They are like a family. Going up against the Americans like they did, our team is good and can be better,” he stressed with emphasis.
D’Tigress will take on France on Friday in a game that, based on their performance against the Americans, could see the Nigerians record their first victory at the Olympics since the 2004 Athens Olympics when a Nigerian side led by the legendary Mfon Udoka defeat South Korea 68-64.
Aisha Mohammed-Balarabe, who is in the current D’Tigress team recorded a game-leading 13 rebounds in that match played 17 years ago in the Greek capital.
