SPORT D’Tigers get set for Commonwealth Games

D’Tigers, the senior men national basketball team, continue their preparation ahead of the XXI Commonwealth Games slated for Gold Coast in Australia with all invited players now in camp. The team’s Head Coach, Abdulrahaman Mohammed, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday the that the team was gearing up to being ready for the competition.

“We have been training accordingly, and it is five days now and gradually the momentum is building up to making the players fit enough and well prepared ahead of time.

“Of course we expect more players, especially the overseasbased ones, to come and beef up the team, but right now we are focused on working with the players we have in the camp.

“The 20 players invited have shown up and in fine shape, as there are no cases of injuries or situation beyond control.

“So, as the training continues, we will work according to setobjectives which include getting the players match-fit for the competition,” Mohammed said.

He added that he hoped the team would have the opportunity to play some friendly matches.

“We will prepare a great team for the competition, but this will be perfected when we test our strength against other teams going for the competition.

“With this, we will be able to assess each player and hopefully fine-tune grey areas in the team before the final selection,” the coach said.

Nigeria, ranked number one in Africa, is grouped alongside Australia, New Zealand, and Canada for the Commonwealth Games which begins on April 4 and ends on April 15.