Nigeria’s basketball contingent to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has been finalised with the men’s and women’s basketball national teams revealing their final 12-person rosters on Monday.
Following a four-week camping exercise in Sacramento and Las Vegas, men’s team, D’Tigers head coach, Mike Brown selected eight NBA players – the most ever in the history of the Nigerian basketball national team – in his final roster.
Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves) and the Miami Heat trio of Gabe Vincent, KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa all made the final cut.
Record point scorer in a single game Jordan Nwora (Milwaukee Bucks) joins Caleb Agada (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Obi Emegano (Fuenlabrada, Spain), Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings) and Ike Nwamu (Samara, Russia) in the final roster.
While Jahlil Okafor (Detroit Pistons) and Miye Oni (Utah Jazz) are also in line to make their competitive debuts for Nigeria after they were selected as part of the final twelve.
The team which recorded two famous wins against world number one the USA and fourth-ranked Argentina before suffering a loss to Australia in their last preparatory game will also include Ekpe Udoh who just completed a move to Virtus Bologna in the Italian Serie A.
D’Tigers who have been ranked fourth on the Tokyo Olympics Basketball power rankings ahead of the Games will look to be the first African side to win a medal at an Olympics but must first navigate past Italy, Australia and Germany in the group stage.
Meanwhile, head coach of the women’s side, D’Tigress, Otis Hughley has named captain Adaora Elonu, Aisha Balarabe, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Atonye Nyingifa, Ezinne Kalu, Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpannah and Ify Ibekwe in his final 12-women roster to Tokyo ahead of their opener against USA on 27 July.
Hughley who led the team to the 2019 Afrobasket win in Senegal also picked Oderah Chidom, Victoria Macaulay, Erica Ogwumike and Amy Okonkwo to complete the list of D’Tigress team heading to Japan.
The four players are in line to make their competitive debuts for Nigeria at the Games. D’Tigress resumed Olympics camping in February and played a series of preparatory games as they get set to face USA, France and hosts Japan in the group stage.
