TINUBU REWARDS D’TIGRESS WITH $100,000 AND NATIONAL HONOUR FOR AFROBASKET VICTORY

By: Gyang Dakwo

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rewarded each member of Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, with one hundred thousand US dollars and a national honour for winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship.

The players were also given one flat each, just as the team’s coach and technical crew received fifty thousand US dollars each and a flat. In addition, President Tinubu conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on every member of the team and technical staff.

The President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the announcement during a special reception held in their honour at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday. The event was attended by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other top government officials.

On Sunday, D’Tigress defeated Mali by 78 to 64 in the final match played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The win sealed their fifth AfroBasket title in a row and their seventh overall.

The team extended their unbeaten run in the tournament to twenty-nine games, which has lasted over a period of ten years. Their success has boosted Nigeria’s image in global women’s basketball and has inspired many young girls to believe in their dreams.

By winning the tournament, D’Tigress also secured an automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany.