Rena Wakama: Nigeria Must Invest in Sports for Podium Performance

Duro Ikhazuagbe Live in Paris

After leading D’Tigress to the quarterfinals of the women’s basketball event of Paris 2024, an unprecedented performance by an African team at the Olympic Games, Coach of the Nigerian senior women’s basketball team, Rena Wakama, has insisted that the country must invest in the team if desirous of podium placement at the next Olympiad.

Speaking shortly after Nigeria lost to seven-time Olympic Games gold medalists Team USA 74-88 on Wednesday night, Wakama said the future is bright for the D’Tigress but only needs proper funding to attain the level of winning medal at the Olympic Games.

“The future is bright for our team. We have to invest in us (D’Tigress) to be able to get to the podium and get a medal at the Olympic Games,” began the coach who took over the team last year and won the Afrobasket Championships as well as qualify Nigeria for the Olympic Games here in Paris 2024.

Wakama is wagging a bet on the bright future of D’Tigress because of her 100 per cent faith in the capacities of the ladies.

“We have the talents. Everyone in the team is Nigerian. We didn’t have to go get anybody from outside our country to play for us. But we need to invest in sports if we want to win medals,” concludes Wakama who led D’Tigress to beat world number 3 Australia as well as world number 5 Canada for Nigeria to become the first African team (male or female) to qualify for the quarterfinals of any Olympic Games basketball event.

In eulogizing the performance of Wakama and her squad, Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, on Wednesday night described the team as impressive.

“D’Tigress made the nation proud and there’s no shame losing to the world number 1 ranked team. They struck a high note, made a statement even at the quarter final match with 74 – 88 result against USA. The emerged the first African team ever to get to the quarter finals here in Paris 2024 and that performance has now moved Nigeria four ranks up from 12 to 8 on the power ranking table. We are proud of their achievements here at the Olympic Games,” observed the sports minister who went into the team’s locker room with NBBF President, Musa Kida at the end of the quarterfinal clash with USA on Wednesday night here in Paris 2024.

TEAM NIGERIA FIXTURES TODAY

ATHLETICS

Men’s 4 x 400 m Relay Rd 1-10:05 am

TAEKWONDO

Women’s 67kg Rd of 16- 10:11 am

Elizabeth Oluchi Anyanacho

Song Jie (China)

WRESTLING

Women’s Freestyle 62kg 1/8 -10:00 am

Esther Omolayo Kolawole

Aisuluu Tynybekova

Men’s Freestyle 125kg 1/8 -10:00 am