Tokyo 2020: We Are Looking Forward To The Challenge - D'Tiger Captain

  Tokyo 2020: We Are Looking Forward To The Challenge - D'Tiger Captain By Sampson Adedeji Captain of the Nigeria senior men's basketball team D'Tigers, Ike Diogu has said they already looking forward to competing against the best in the game, BSNSports.com.ng reports. Nigeria, who secured Africa's only automatic berth for this year's Olympics thanks to a 3-2 mark at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, have been drawn in Group B alongside Australia and the winners of two of four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to be held in June-July in Split, Croatia and Belgrade, Serbia. Reacting to Tuesday draw, Diogu, who played a fundamental role in helping Nigeria to enter the Olympic fraternity nine years ago, insists that there are no easy games in the Olympics. "It's just like the World Cup," he said. "I don't think there are any easy draws, every team we are going play it's going be really good. These are the 12 best teams in the world. We're looking forward to the challenge. Our first opponent is going to be Australia, which is a top-five team in the world. We're looking forward to see who the next two opponents are going to be as well," said the 37-year-old power forward. "Australia are a good team and an experienced team, it's a good challenge for us, it's a very good group to be in. We won't know who the other opponents are until later on, but in the Olympics, every draw you're going get, it's going to be tough," he told FIBA. If Diogu stays healthy he stands strong chances of becoming a three-time Olympian. Other Nigerian players still in activity chasing their third Olympics appearance include Ekene Ibekwe and Alade Aminu.