Nigerian leader reward victorious basketball players, officials

LAGOS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday received members of the victorious D' Tigress, the national women's basketball team which won the FIBA Women's AfroBasket final in Mali on Sunday.

The players were awarded 1 million naira (about 3100 U.S.dollars) each and the officials 500,000 naira each.

The president, after announcing the award shortly before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), urged the team to remain focused.

"You should work toward winning the forthcoming 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Spain," he said.

Buhari had on Monday, in a statement, congratulated on the team's victory which qualified them for the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Spain.

The president commended the players for displaying "uncommon strength and confidence."

Earlier, the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, attributed the achievement of the D' Tigress in Mali to the "silent reforms" embarked upon by his ministry.

He said his ministry was determined to restore the old glory of sports in the country.

The D' Tigress did not drop a single match on their way to the final and beat Senegal 65-48 to win the title.

The last time Nigeria won the competition was in 2005, after their first win in 2003.