THE Federal Government of Nigeria will reward D’Tigress with N25 million for winning the 2020 Women’s AfroBasket Championships in Cameroon, the sports ministry has announced.
The Nigerian ladies defeated Mali in the final of the continental basketball tournament last year to win a third straight African title, cementing their legacy as the best women’s national team from the continent.
After the victory, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, recommended that a token of appreciation be given to the African queens for doing the nation proud, a request that has now received the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, according to a sports ministry press release on Tuesday.
D’Tigress, who last year protested against unfulfilled promises and a lack of attention from the authorities, will be relieved that their efforts are now being recognised and rewarded.
Apart from their dominance on the continent, D’Tigress have also become a global force. Only last week, they qualified as Africa’s sole representatives to the FIBA Women’s World Cup holding in Sydney, Australia in September.
After losing their first game to China, D’Tigress defeated the world’s No.5 ranked team France and their bitter African rivals Mali to seal their place in the World Cup finals.
