D’Tigress Begins Second Phase Of Preparation For FIBA Women’s World Cup In Asian
By Akeem Busari
Nigeria’s Senior women’s national basketball, D’Tigress, yesterday, arrived Haikou, in the Hannan Province of China, to open the Asian leg of the Federation’s Road to Berlin campaign, ahead of a three-game international series against the host nation, China.
The reigning African Champions travelled from their opening camp in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which ran from 29th July to 2 August, aboard the aircraft of the Federation’s Official Travel Partner, XE Jet.
The China series forms the second phase a five-stop international preparation programme culminating in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, to be staged in Berlin, Germany, from 4 to 13 September.
The fixtures
Game 1 – Friday, 7 August, 2026, 1930 CST, Wuyuanhe, Sports Centre, Haikou.
Game 2 – Sunday, 9 August, 2026, 1930 CST, Wuyuanhe Sports Centre, Haikou.
Game 3 – Wednesday, 12 August, Nanhai Sports Centre Gymnasium, Foshan, Guangdong Province.
All the three matches are FIBA-sanctioned senior international fixtures organised by the Chinese Basketball Association and supported by the Hainan Provincial and Foshan Nanhai District Sports Authorities. The series will be broadcast live in China, by China Media Group, with tickets on public sale through Damai, Maoyan, Pioxinggui and Douyin.
A Genuine Measuring Stick
The series pairs two of the world’s top eight nations. Nigeria enters the window ranked eight in the FIBA Women’s World Ranking and remain the highest ranked African side and the continent’s only representative in the global ten. D’Tigress are five-time consecutive FIBA Women’s Afrobasket champions, and at Paris 2024, became the first African basketball team of either gender to reach an Olympic games quater-finals.
China ranked fourth, are silver medalist from the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 and are preparing simultaneously for Berlin and Achi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Under head coach Gong Luming, the hosts have named a 14-player squad built around a new generation of talent, including towering centre Zhang Ziyu, and will use the Nigerian series as their final domestic examination before departing for Europe.
The two nations last met at FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2024, where China prevailed 70-65 in a contest decided in the closing minutes.
Reaction
President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, said, “We deliberately built the preparation window around opponents who will stretch us.
“China are ranked fourth in the world, they are tall, disciplined and playing at home in front of national television audience. That is precisely, the environment our players must be comfortable in by the time we reach Berlin.
“The board and the technical committee are committed to giving to giving this team every advantage. And I thank our partners, particularly, XE Jet, for making this travel possible.”
Head Coach Rena Wakama said, “three games in six days, against a top-four team is exactly the rhythm of a world cup group stage. We’ll look at combinations, at our defence against size, and at how we manage possessions under pressure. The result matters less rifht now than the habits we build here.”
Team captain Amy Okonkwo said, “we are not travelling to Berlin to make up the numbers. Our target is the podium and games like these in China are how we earn the right to talk that way.”
Chairman of the NBBF Sponsorship and Marketing Committee, Ugo Udezue, said,” This series places Nigeria Basketball in front of one of the largest sports audiences in the world. Beyond the scoreboard, that visibility is an asset for our players, for the federation and for every commercial partner who has chosen to stand behind D’Tigress on this journey.”
The Road To Berlin
Chicago, Illinois, USA – Training Camp; 29 July – 2 August
Haikou & Foshan – Three games v China; 3 -14 August
Tenerife, Spain – v Spain and Belgium; 15 – 24 August
Zaragoza, Spain – v Mali and Puerto Rico; 25 August – 3 September
Berlin, Germany – FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup; 4 – 13 September.
At the World Cup, an expended 16-team competition, Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside France, Hungary and Korea. It will be the nations third appearance at the global championship, having reached the quater-finals in 2018.
Notes To Editors
The Nigeria Basketball Federation, is the national governing body for basketball in Nigeria. The federation oversees the senior men’s and women’s national basketball teams, D’Tigress and D’Tigers, tge age-grade national teams, the Nigeria Premier Basketball League and the Women’s Basketball League. And is also responsible for the development and commercial administration of the sport nationwide.
Media Contact
Amina O. Amanchi, Secretary General, Nigeria Basketball Federation
+234 8032266551/+234 8037610378
