NGR - Nigeria leave for Sendai

SENDAI (FIBA World Championship) - Nigeria senior men national team, D'Tigers will Monday, August 14 depart their United States of America, USA training base for Sendai, Japan ahead their group-A opening game against World champion, Serbia.

The Nigerian team made up of mixture of old and experience players and young and vibrant players who are ready to surpassed the country's thirteenth placing in its first world championship outing in Greece in 1998 are said to be in high spirit for the task ahead.

The team, which made up of an all-foreign based players includes, Tunji Awojobi, Julius Nwosu, Gabe Muoneke, Imeh Udoka, Chamberlain Oguchi and Ibrahim Badmus.

Others include, Ebi Ere, Josh Akogun, Dereck Dickson, Ekenne Azubuike who replaced Olumide Oyedeji, Deji Akindele and Aloysius Anangonye.

The coach Sam Vincent tutored side will wound up its pre-championship matches today (Sunday) against an America selected side.

The early departure Nigeria, one of Africa hopeful at the world met is to allow for full concentration and acclimatization of the players to the Sendai terrain

Nigeria Basketball Federation head of technical committee, Dr. Adamu Ahmed expressed confidence that the team will not disappoint when hostilities began next weekend.

Dr. Ahmed said problems associated with team selection was not peculiar to Nigeria alone as other teams taking part in the world championship has heard one problem or the other.

He said the federation is solidly behind the team and that Nigeria is looking to consolidate on the feat achieved by Angola in 2002 where it finished over all ninth out of the 16 countries that took part then before the championship format was enlarged to 24 team.

By Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA Correspondent in Nigeria