Olusegun Adeyemo
Former Media Officer of River Hoppers, Mrs. Queen john-Moseph, has praised President Bola Tinubu for honouring Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, describing it as a “huge and long-overdue gesture” considering the team’s consistent achievements over the years.
In an interview with The Journal Nigeria, Mrs. John-Moseph noted that the players had not been adequately rewarded in the past, despite their impressive performances in international tournaments.
“Every time D’Tigress went into a tournament, they hoped to be recognised by the President. For the President to finally honour and award them is a significant achievement for the team,” she said.
She recalled that the last time such recognition was given was in 2017 by the late President Muhammadu Buhari, though the rewards then were not as generous as those now presented by President Tinubu.
President Tinubu recently awarded each D’Tigress player $100,000, while members of the 11-man coaching and technical crew received $50,000 each. All players and staff were also granted three-bedroom flats at the Renewed Hope Estate, and were conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). The announcement was made by Vice President Kashim Shettima during a special reception at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
However, Mrs. John-Moseph expressed concerns over the disparity in the rewards, particularly for the coaching crew.
“You can’t give the coach half of what the players received,” she said. “Without the coach, even the best players may not succeed. I would have expected the coach to receive the same $100,000 or at least more than the assistants, who could have been given half.”
She also urged the federal government to examine the state of basketball development in the country, especially the lack of a functional domestic league. She noted that both the men’s and women’s national teams have struggled with poor league structures over the past seven to eight years.
“The women’s league has especially been challenging. If you look at D’Tigress, there isn’t a single player from the home league in the squad. Two years ago, we had at least two local players, including Okoro, who eventually had to leave the country to improve her career,” she lamented.
Mrs. John-Moseph emphasized that talented Nigerian players at home are missing out on opportunities because they lack competitive local platforms to showcase their skills, unlike their foreign-based counterparts who benefit from consistent club competition.
She also highlighted the recurring issue of late preparations for tournaments, which she said hampers Nigeria’s performance on the global stage.
“It’s not enough to bring the players together just a week before a major tournament like Afrobasket. That kind of poor preparation is what made our game against Mozambique unnecessarily difficult,” she stated.
Despite the challenges, she celebrated D’Tigress’ recent success, calling it a “remarkable achievement.” The team has now won five consecutive Afrobasket titles, becoming the first African team to achieve this feat. Their total of seven titles surpasses Senegal, the previous record-holder with six
“It’s not an easy ride, but they made history despite the odds. This victory is significant for Nigerian basketball. I hope the team continues to grow, and the trophy keeps staying in the country,” Mrs. John-Moseph concluded.