Ezeli, Farouq absence felt by D’tigers in Rio – Aminu
Nigeria’s senior national basketball team forward Abdulwahab Alade Aminu says the last minute withdrawal of star players Farouq Aminu and Festus Ezeli wasn’t responsible for the side’s poor outing at the 2016 Rio Olympics Games.
In a chat with Fever Pitch yesterday, the Israel based player added that he doesn’t consider the Games in Brazil to be a failure considering the team continue to grow as the days go by.
“Their (Ezeli and Aminu) withdrawal wasn’t responsible because basketball is a team sport and whoever comes in for another is expected to give his best for the team, but this doesn’t mean their availability wouldn’t have strengthened the team as they are massive players.” Aminu said. Portland Trail Blazers forward Aminu and club teammate Ezeli were not part of Nigeria’s squad to Rio because of unresolved insurance issues with the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF).
The NBBF failed to assure both players that they will be taken care of in cases of injury sustained at the competition.
William Voight’s side hopes of making history as the first African team to reach the quarter finals of the men’s basketball event at the Olympics was been dashed following their 86-69 loss to Brazil in their last encounter.
D’Tigers needed to beat the hosts to be stand any chance of making it to the quarter finals, but having done enough to win the first quarter 16-15, the African champions ran out of steam as the Brazilians seized the initiative to win the remaining three quarters to emerge victorious.
After beating Croatia and narrow defeats against Spain and Lithuania, many thought Nigeria had a good chance against the hosts who had only won a game also coming into the final group game.
However, that was not to be as the D’Tigers missed out on becoming the first African team to win two games at the Olympics.