{"id":44231,"date":"2025-08-05T02:08:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T02:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/44231\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T02:08:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T02:08:07","slug":"tinubu-splashes-100000-flats-oon-on-victorious-national-bball-team-dtigress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/44231\/","title":{"rendered":"Tinubu splashes $100,000, flats, OON on victorious national B\u2019ball team D\u2019Tigress"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was the turn of the victorious senior women\u2019s basketball team, D\u2019Tigress<\/a>, to smile home with gifts yesterday.<\/p>\n

For winning the FIBA Women\u2019s AfroBasketball<\/a> title for the fifth consecutive time and the seventh overall, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rewarded members of the team with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), $100,000 each, and a three-bedroom flat each.<\/p>\n

It was at a presidential reception held in their honour at the State House Banquet Hall.<\/p>\n

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President, made the announcement.<\/p>\n

Members of the coaching and technical crew will receive $50,000 each and similar housing packages.<\/p>\n

The ceremony, attended by top government officials, including First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Vice President\u2019s wife Hajia Nana, ministers Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite (Finance, State), Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim (Women Affairs), Arts and Culture\u00a0 Hanatu Musawa, Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) Shehu Dikko, Chairman Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBF) Musa Kida and others, celebrated the team\u2019s resounding 78\u201364 victory over Mali in the AfroBasket final match held on Sunday night at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire.<\/p>\n

Shettima praised their display of unity, resilience, and excellence.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have conquered Africa 78 to 64. It\u2019s not just about tactical superiority, but also about poise, discipline, and the Nigerian spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wore the green and white not just as a jersey but as a symbol of unity\u2014and now you wear the crown as kings of African basketball for the fifth consecutive time\u201d, Shettima declared.<\/p>\n

Addressing the players as \u2018daughters of the nation\u2019, Shettima singled out\u00a0 Head Coach Rena Wakama for special praise, saying: \u201cYour quiet strength and historic achievements have shattered ceilings. You represent the evolution of leadership in Nigerian sports. You have earned your place as one of the world\u2019s best.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also hailed Amy Okonkwo, the tournament\u2019s Most Valuable Player, and Ezinne Kalu, top scorer in the final, noting: \u201cYou played not for yourselves, but for Nigeria. Your victory belongs to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shettima emphasised the administration\u2019s commitment to sports as a national development strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSports is not merely entertainment\u2014it is infrastructure, education, diplomacy, youth employment, and economic transformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder this government, we are repositioning sports for global competitiveness and sustainable growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shettima thanked the National Sports Commission, led by Shehu Dikko, and the Nigerian Basketball Federation under Musa Kida, for their support of the team.<\/p>\n

In a stirring address, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu said the team\u2019s triumph represents more than a basketball win\u2014it is a beacon of inspiration for future generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis victory is a resounding statement of hard work, excellence, and national pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have written another golden chapter in Nigeria\u2019s sporting history.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou inspire every young girl to dream boldly and pursue greatness,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Tinubu recounted a previous encounter with the team during a visit last year, noting their progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou showed up then, and now you are seated before the President. That\u2019s what consistency, excellence, and discipline can achieve\u201d, the First Lady noted.<\/p>\n

She highlighted the extraordinary story of Dr. Sarah Goke, a full-time surgeon who recently had a baby and still played in the tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour story is one of resilience and inspiration. May your path continue to light the way for others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking on behalf of the team, Amy Okonkwo expressed heartfelt gratitude to the President and people of Nigeria.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so thankful to be here today. It means the world to us to be hosted like this and to inspire young women across the world that they too can dream,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Okonkwo praised the team\u2019s support system and leadership, saying: \u201cWe thank you for lifting us higher. We believe the sky is not our limit\u2014we can break barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dikko described D\u2019Tigress\u2019 latest triumph as a milestone for Nigerian sports and women in athletics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a defining moment. With this victory, Nigeria becomes the first African team to qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women\u2019s World Cup and extends an incredible 29-game unbeaten run in AfroBasket\u2014an era unmatched in African basketball,\u201d Dikko stated.<\/p>\n

He applauded Coach Wakama\u2019s back-to-back continental titles in 2023 and 2025, noting her emergence as a global symbol of female leadership in coaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has redefined what is possible when we invest in domestic development,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dikko emphasised the planning and leadership that led to the team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese victories are not accidents. They are a product of deliberate investment, reforms, and the athletes\u2019 resilience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Highlighting other recent achievements in sports, Dikko mentioned Nigeria\u2019s hosting of the Confederation of African Athletics U18 and U20 Championships, participation in the African Youth Games in Algeria, and the qualification of the U19 female basketball team for the World Cup in the Czech Republic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese efforts are part of a broader national strategy to build a sustainable sports ecosystem that empowers youth and enhances global competitiveness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Dikko assured the President of continued reforms in the sports sector, adding: \u201cEvery Nigerian boy and girl deserves a fair shot at becoming the next Ezinne Kalu or Tobi Amusan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are committed to deepening reforms and unlocking our potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

He thanked President Tinubu, the First Lady, female ministers, and private partners supporting sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have inspired a nation. You\u2019ve shown us again that greatness is earned through belief, unity, and hard work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also expressed hope for similar success from the national men\u2019s basketball team, D\u2019Tigers, who begin their AfroBasket championship campaign in Angola in two weeks.<\/p>\n

The presidential reception follows a similar ceremony hosted by President Tinubu last week for the Super Falcons, after their victory in the 2025 WAFCON in Rabat, Morocco.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Tigress now hold seven African championship titles and remains the most dominant women\u2019s basketball team on the continent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was the turn of the victorious senior women\u2019s basketball team, D\u2019Tigress, to smile home with gifts yesterday.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44232,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,38677,85,38678],"class_list":["post-44231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-dtigress","tag-sports","tag-tinubu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}