D’Tigress will make Nigerians proud at Tokyo 2020 – Amukamara

D’Tigress point guard, Promise Amukamara, is very confident the team will be outstanding at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Amukamara said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos that she was sure the team would put up a decent performance Nigerians would be proud of.

“This is possible with the right personnel selection and better preparation, in spite of the quality of our Group B opponents.

“With many high-profile players showing interest in joining Nigeria in the wake of back-to-back Afrobasket titles, we are sure to do well,” she said

Amukamara added that the senior women national basketball team’s quarter-finals finish at the World Cup as well as a rising profile on the international stage have helped to make the team.

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“All seems to be looking good for the team ahead of the Games,” the player said.

She expressed the belief that the first five new players invited to the team’s camp in Atlanta are great additions who have easily adapted well as members of the D’Tigress family.

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“Elizabeth (Williams), Erica (Ogwumike), Amy (Okonkwo), Nicole (Enabosi) and Oderah (Chidom) have all done a great job adapting to our system which looks good.”

On the 10-day camp for the team in Atlanta earlier this year, the Charnay Basketball Club player said the exercise provided the players an opportunity to come together.

The France-based player said it had been a long time ago the team were able to meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic which troubled the world in 2020.

On what they were able to achieve while in camp, the 27-year-old who made her debut at the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Spain said: “We focused on getting a lot of shots, and we went over our attack and defence.

“I think it was just a great time to come together because we haven’t seen each other since February 2020.

“So, it was a good time to come together, get familiar with the new players and the new coaching staff.”

Looking at the 12 teams who have qualified for the games, the 2019 Afrobasket winner admitted that D’Tigress have some solid opponents to face.

“With the experience, the new players and team that we have, coach Otis and the rest of the coaching staff will do a great job preparing us to do well,” Amukamara said.

Nigeria are currently grouped alongside world number one U.S., France and Japan.(NAN)