Ike Diogu, Ofoegbu Chima lead D’Tigers charge for Commonwealth Games

Veteran Ike Diogu expectedly tops the list of 12 players released by national basketball team D’Tigers coach, Alex Nwora, to lead Nigeria’s quest for a medal at the Basketball event of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The team is made of six home based players and six foreign based players.

Diogu is joined by other foreign-based stars like Uchenna Iroegbu, Olatunji Olalekan Graham and Ofoegbu Uchechi Chima (all USA) as well as Philippines based Orizu Prince Ifeanyi.

According to a statement signed by Chimezie Asiegbu, secretary of the Nigerian Basketball Federation, Nwora called up Mark Mentors, Musa Usman who was left out of the D’Tigers squad for the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Bamako, Mali.

Also included in the roster for the Commonwealth Games are Kano Pillars trio of Azuoma Dike, Abdul Yahaha and Dung Eli Abraham.

The statement also revealed that the pre-games camping is expected to end on the 22nd, as the team will depart for Brisbane on March 23rd, 2018 ahead of their first game against New Zealand on Friday, 6th, April.

Nigeria is in Group B alongside host- Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Nigeria’s best showing was a fourth-place showing at the 2006 games and D’Tigers will be hoping to do better in Austrailia.

Full Team List:

Ike Diogu (Henan, CHINA)

Uchenna Ireogbu (Stony Brooks, NCAA, USA)

Dung Eli Abraham- (Kano Pillars (NIGERIA)

Azuoma Dike – (Kano Pillars, NIGERIA)

Olantunji Olalekan Graham- (Unattached, USA)

Ofoegbu Uchechi Chima – (Unattached, USA)

Musa Usman (Mark Mentors, NIGERIA)

Abdulwahab Yakubu (Gombe Bulls, Nigeria)

Istifanus Sylvanus (Gombe Bulls, Nigeria)

Abdul Yahaya (Kano Pillars)

Achiuwa Godgift (Unattached, USA)

Orizu Prince Ifeanyi (Far Eastern University, PHILIPHINES)