Kicking off!

Nigeria’s senior women basketball team, D’Tigers have a mountain to climb again when the 2017 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket dunks off in Bamako Mali in August. The reason is not far-fetched- again they have been drawn in the same group with reigning African champions Senegal and other perennial rivals like Egypt and Mozambique.

It will be recalled that at the 2015 edition in Cameroon, the Nigerian ladies fought gallantly but only managed to end with a bronze medal after beating Angola in the third place match.

Consequently, the 25th edition to be staged in Mali offers the D’Tigress the opportunity to make amends and qualify for the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

Thus, our cover story has x-rayed the D’Tigress’ ‘Group of Death’ and discovered that the coach and players of the team are brimming with confidence.

In the interview section, we have for your reading delight the interview Super Eagles player, Michael Babatunde granted the website of the Nigeria Football Federation, thenff.com on his desire to still play for the senior national team.

Babatunde was a member of the team that represented Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He currently plays professional football in Qatar.

And boxing fans across the globe will have something to watch and savour as Adonis Stevenson will be making the eighth defence of his WBC light-heavyweight belt when he meets Andrzej Fonfara in a rematch at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, tonight.

Again it promises to be a keenly contested fight as the two are already conversant with each other’s boxing tactics.

Furthermore, in the wake of the recent arrest of former world number golfer, Tiger Woods on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, legendary golfer, Jack Nickalus is calling on the golf fraternity to come out and support the American.

We conclude this edition with a preview of today’s UEFA Champions League finals between title holders, Real Madrid and Italian giants, Juventus.

Almost everything has been said about this cracker and all we can add is to ask you to have a splendid weekend as you watch the best of European club football in Cardiff.

May the better side come out victorious.