African Basketball Teams Triumph at Paris Olympics Opening Games
Nigeria overcame significant obstacles to secure a historic victory over Australia, and South Sudan defeated Puerto Rico in their debut at the Olympics.
Nigeria's players celebrate winning the women's preliminary round group B basketball match between Nigeria and Australia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on July 29, 2024.
The Paris Olympics is shaping up to be a promising event for African basketball teams. In a historic win, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, defeated Australia’s the Opals, the world number three women’s basketball team, 75-62 in their opening games. This victory marks Nigeria’s first win at the Paris Games, and their first in 20 years.
The journey to the game was fraught with challenges. D’Tigress’ players and coaches were denied entry to the Nigeria delegation’s boat during the opening ceremonies, forcing them to spend the night in Paris and miss their scheduled morning practice session in Lille.
Despite these setbacks, D’Tigress, six-time African champions, displayed remarkable resilience against the Opals, who are five-time Olympic medallists. Nigeria finished the first half with a 13-point lead. Key players such as Elizabeth Balogun, who scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds, and made two steals and two blocks, played exceptional roles in securing the win.
The Australian team was led by one of their most decorated players, Lauren Jackson, who has four Olympic medals and five Olympic appearances.
Looking ahead, D’Tigress, ranked number 12 in the world, will face hosts France in their next game on August 1, while Australia will play against world number five Canada on Thursday. The knockout stage of the tournament will take place at the Bercy Arena in Paris, with the final scheduled for August 11.
South Sudan’s men’s basketball team, the best on the continent at last year’s World Cup, has also recorded their first win in their Olympics debut, securing a 90-79 score against world number 16 Puerto Rico.