Head coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball national team, Will Voigt, hopes to make history at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics by making D’Tigers the first African team to qualify from the group stages of the Games.
D’Tigers have been drawn against hosts Brazil, Argentina, Lithuania, Spain and a team that will qualify via one of the three Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
The American coach Voigt, who led Nigeria to their first-ever African title in Tunisia last year, however raised doubts over the availability of Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo when the team’s camping begins in July but is confident Golden State Warriors centre Festus Ezeli will be available.
Voigt’s men start off their second straight Olympic appearance facing Argentina in Group B, and if they play the way they hope to, it would be the beginning of what Voigt calls “a historic moment for Nigerian basketball”.
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