BY JOE APU
HEAD coach of the Nigeria women’s basketball team, D’ Tigress, Scott Nnaji said he is confident that his girls will pick one of the five tickets available at the Women Olympic Qualifying Tournament billed for Nantes, France in June.
Nnaji, who secured a third place win for the Nigerian side to guarantee a qualification place was however bothered about the clearance of the players he intended to prosecute the qualifiers with; a situation that is holding up the list of invited players that would resume camp on May 9 in Abuja.
According to Nnaji, the programme he submitted to the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF indicated that camping in preparation for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament will commence on May 9.
“I have two levels of camping ahead of the qualification event in Nantes, France. The first phase camping begins on May 9, 2016 in Abuja while the second phase will be in France.”
On the players he intended to call to camp, Nnaji said a list of 20 players had been sent to the federation which awaits clearance on them before he would announce the names.
“We don’t intend to have a jamboree in the camp and that’s why only 20 players have been sent for clearance. It’s only when the clearance comes that the names of the players invited for camping would be released. Care has been taken in selecting the additional players that would join the squad that was in Cameroon.”
The coach who is also at the head of the Nigeria Customs basketball technical crew hinted that he looked forward to the players in the domestic Zenith Bank sponsored women’s league to improve in performance as the final selection would be strictly based on merit.
“There’s no room for sentiments. Getting a qualification ticket for the Olympics proper is not a matter to be toyed with. It therefore means that every player must earn her place on the final squad,” the coach stated.
Nigeria was billed to open her campaign in Group C against Belarus and followed by a second game against Korea. The Women Olympic Qualifying Tournament will run from 13-19, June 2016.