Three commercial banks donated $200,000 ( about 100 million naira) to jointly adopt the national Men’s Basketball Team (D’Tigers) and the Women’s team (D’Tigress) as part of the adoption initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development towards a podium finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Ministry noted that Zenith, Access and Guarantee Trust (GT) banks responded in a timely fashion to the appeal by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare for corporate organizations to adopt the national teams.
D’Tigers got $100,000 while D’Tigress also got $100,000 as support to prosecute their participation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Ministry expressed its appreciation to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who was central to the process leading to the adoption. It noted that the CBN governor’s earlier support to the revitalization of the Principals Cup this year.
The Ministry further thanked the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Mr. Ebenezer N. Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, Managing Director/CEO of GT Bank, Mr. Segun Agbaje and their financial institutions for adopting the national basketball teams.
While assuring that there is still room for other corporate organizations to adopt Olympic bound athletes and teams, the Ministry expressed confidence that the financial support has further brightened Nigeria’s chances at clinching gold in basketball.
