D’Tigress Players, Officials Receive Presidential Financial Rewards
Oru Leonard
Players and officials of Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following the payment of the financial rewards promised the team for winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket championship.
The payment represents the final tranche of the Presidential Rewards announced in recognition of the team’s historic continental triumph.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) said the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, recently met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, to conclude arrangements for the release of the outstanding rewards.
According to the Commission, the payments were made within three days of the conclusion of the process, with players and officials of both D’Tigress and the Super Falcons receiving the financial rewards promised by the President.
Speaking on behalf of D’Tigress, team captain Amy Okonkwo thanked President Tinubu for what she described as his commitment to the welfare and development of Nigerian athletes.
She said the team was grateful for the President’s support, noting that the players had received the houses promised to them, national honours and, now, the financial rewards.
Okonkwo also expressed appreciation to the First Lady, the leadership of the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Basketball Federation and other stakeholders for their roles in ensuring that the promised rewards were fulfilled.
She described the development as evidence of a positive shift in the administration of Nigerian sports and a demonstration of the President’s support for athletes.
D’Tigress are the reigning champions of African women’s basketball, having won the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title a record five consecutive times.
The team secured the 2025 championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, defeating Mali 78-64 in the final to claim Nigeria’s seventh continental title.
The victory also extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run in the competition to 29 consecutive games and made D’Tigress the first team in the history of the Women’s AfroBasket to win five successive championships.
