Skipper Ike Diogu led by example for Nigeria with 28 points. Photo Credit: www.fiba.basketball

If everything works out as planned, D’Tigers team will be relying on the quality leadership and experience of team captain, Ike Diogu, when they file out for their FIBA Men’s World Cup qualifiers in Lagos.

D’Tigers head coach, Alex Nwora said this at the weekend while speaking with the Media Department of the Nigeria Basketball Federation in Lagos, as they intensify their preparation.

Nwora described Diogu, who was co-captain of the 2015 Afrobasket-winning team in Tunisia, before leading the team to another silver finish two years later, as the essential foundation that holds the young D’Tigers team together.

“He knows that we have an unfinished business and he has embraced the leadership role as the Captain of the D’Tigers. He is the foundation that holds us together.”

Having won three games so far with three more to go in the preliminary group phase of the qualifiers, Coach Alex is optimistic that the Sichuan Blue Whales of China power forward, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 Afrobasket, can provide the needed experience for the relatively young team.

“Hopefully, he is going to keep leading these young players that are coming to the National Team for the first time, and teach them the right way to represent Nigeria, like he has been doing over the years.”

Nigeria will resume their World Cup campaign on the 29th when they file out against Uganda at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, before facing Rwanda and Mali on the 30th of June and 1st of July respectively.

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Yemi Galadima is a Senior Sportswriter and Editor at Making of Champions. She has a bias for Athletics and was previously a Sports Reporter at the National Mirror, where she hosted a weekly column ‘On the Track with Yemi Olus’ for over two years. A self-acclaimed ‘athletics junkie’, she has covered national and international events live, such as the African Athletics Championships, African Games, Olympics and World Athletics Championships. She also freelances for World Athletics.

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