February 10, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian women’s national basketball team has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, clinching back-to-back appearances at the prestigious global sporting event. Nigeria punched its ticket to Paris with a match to spare after a pivotal victory by Belgium over Senegal in Antwerp.
This marks the first time Nigeria has qualified for consecutive Olympics. The team made its debut at the 2004 Athens Games and then returned in 2020 for the Tokyo Olympics after a 16-year absence. They finished 11th out of 12 teams both times.
While Nigeria came up short of winning any Olympic matches in Japan, Paris presents an opportunity to improve on past performances. As African champions, expectations will be high for the Nigerian squad to show progress.
In clinching consecutive Olympic berths, Nigeria joins the company of perennial women’s basketball powers, the United States, Australia and Spain. The African nation will likely face stiff competition in a difficult Paris group, but the experience could prove valuable for the team’s continued development.
Nigeria came tantalisingly close to winning its first ever Olympic match in Tokyo, giving fans hope that a maiden victory in Paris is within reach. With barely enough time to prepare, the Nigerian women will be looking to make history on the global stage once again.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
