Nine AfroBasket winners in D’Tigers’ Olympic squad

D’Tigers. Photo: FIBA.com

Coach William Voigt has named nine of the 12 players who won the 2015 AfroBasket for the country in Tunisia for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The team, which lost 110-66 to the USA on Tuesday in their last friendly match before the Olympics, will begin their quest for a first medal against Argentina on August 7. D’Tigers will be featuring in their second consecutive Olympics in Rio.

The other teams in Nigeria’s Group B are Lithuania, Brazil, Croatia and Spain. D’Tigers need to finish among the top four teams to advance to the quarterfinals.

Olasewere Jamal, Al-Farouq Aminu and Olumide Oyedeji, who recently retired from the team, are the three players from the 2015 triumph absent from the Games. In their place, three new players were called up – Josh Akognon, Ebi Ere and Ekene Ibekwe.

All the 12 players for the Olympics are overseas-based. While Aminu will miss the Olympics, his brother, Alade, will represent Nigeria. Chamberlain Oguchi, the Most Valuable Player at last year’s AfroBasket tournament and a 2012 Olympian, will also be on parade.

The other members of the team are Ike Diogu, Michael Gbinije, Shane Lawal, Andy Ogide, Stan Okoye, Ben Uzoh and Michael Umeh.

Meanwhile, Portland Trailblazers player, Al-Farouq, said he withdrew from the trip to Rio due to unresolved challenges with the Nigeria Basketball Federation.

The player’s official statement from the media department of his club Portland Trailblazers on Monday explained the reason for the player’s withdrawal.

The statement said, “Due to continued and unresolved organisational challenges with the Nigerian Basketball Federation, I’m withdrawing from participation in the 2016 Olympic Games. I wish the Nigerian players, coaches and staff great success in the Olympics and hope to participate in future opportunities with the national team.”

Aminu played for the Nigerian national team at the London 2012 Olympics. The player joins teammate Festus Ezeli, who is also not playing with the Nigerian team in the Olympics, due to disputes over insurance for his NBA contract.