The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Rivers State Chapter, has congratulated Nigeria D’Tigress over their brilliant performance at the just concluded FIBA Women’s Afrobasket in Ivory Coast as they beat Mali 78-64 to win the competition for the fifth time consecutively and seventh time overall in the history of the Afro basketball championship.
Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team proved itself throughout the competition.
Sports writers in the State commended two outstanding Rivers State indigenes in the team, the Coach Rena Wakama and player Pallas Kunaiyi Akpannah.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the association in the State, Cyril Dum Wite and Comrade Tonye Orabere, respectively.
D’Tigress became the first African basketball team to win the competition in a series. With this feat, they have qualified to represent Nigeria at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
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According to the statement, the achievement by D’Tigress has made the country proud and has the potential to shock the world in any other competition or tournament.
“We congratulate Nigeria D’Tigress over their impressive performance at the Afrobasket championship held in Ivory Coast. We also believe that D’Tigress will shock the world in future following their current impressive performance,” the statement said.
The association further appeals to the Rivers State Government to start grassroots basketball catch them young programmes to discover talents in rural areas and build more basketball courts. SWAN in the state also called on the State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibot-Ete Ibas (retired), to formally host the two ambassadors of the State, the Coach of D’Tigress, Rena Wakama and the player, Pallas Kunaiyi Akpannah.
