The nation’s senior men national team D’Tigers will tomorrow commence final preparation ahead of its Group-A opener against fellow FIBA Africa Zone-III team, Cote d’Ivoire on August 5 in Benghazi, Libya in the 25th edition of FIBA Africa Championship for men tagged, “Libya 2009 Afribasket”.
The team under the watchful eyes of Coach John Harding Lucas-II is expected to round-off its training at the John Harding Lucas-II training facility in Houston, United States of America on July 27 and head to Nigeria.
The team will torch down in Nigeria on July 28 and would be joined by some selected home-based players.
Players and officials including members of the Nigeria Basketball Federation will meet the press and be hosted to a get-together on August 1 in Abuja.
The NBBF has also set aside August 1 for members of the national team to visit an orphanage in the Federal Capital Territory while the contingent is expected to depart for Benghazi through Tripoli aboard Afriqiyah Airways in the night of August 2, the team will torch down at the Tripoli airport in the early hours of August 3 and move straight to Benghazi for its Group-A games against Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa and host Libya.
Meanwhile President of the NBBF, Tijjani Umar jet out today (Sunday) to Houston to cheer the players and officials up ahead the task ahead.
The Nigeria federation president is optimistic that the team will do well at the Libya 2009 Afrobasket.
Nigeria is taking part in the continent biggest basketball competition which began in 1962 for a record fourteen times, the country has won three silver (1997, 1999 and 2003) and two bronze (1995 and 2005) medals and have participated in the FIBA World Championship twice (1998 and 2006).
By Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA Africa