₦airaland Forum

[size=14pt]D’Tigers in Houston for final Rio preparations[/size]

By Mansur Abubakar | Publish Date: Jul 28 2016 5:00AM

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Nigeria’s senior male basketball team D’Tigers yesterday landed in Houston, Texas for the final leg of their 2016 Rio Olympics preparations before flying to the South American city mid next week.

D’Tigers are aiming to reach greater heights at this year’s Games after a horrendous showing at London 2012 Olympics where they were eliminated early and whitewashed by a ruthless United States side which scored an Olympic record 156 against Nigeria.

Expectations are high on the African champions this time around with high flyers in the NBA like Al Amin Farouq and Mike Gbinije in William Voight’s side.

2015 Afro Basket Most Valuable player Chamberlain Oguchi took to twitter to announce their arrival to the northern United States of America city.

“D’Tigers arrive in Houston, home to Ben Uzoh, Mike Umeh and Oguchi.” the Anwil Wloclawek of Poland player who was born in Texas mentioned on social media.

D’Tigers last friendly game will be in Houston against the United States’ team on August 1 in what the Americans have dubbed the USA Basketball Showcase, before they depart to Rio.

Their first game is against Argentina on August 7 and they have to finish among the top four to advance to the Quarter-Finals.

The 2016 USA Basketball Showcase presented by Verizon will feature the USA Basketball Men’s National Team playing the 2015 FIBA Africa zone champion Nigeria on Monday, August 1st at Toyota Center. “With only a short period of training available, our training and exhibition games are critical in helping us prepare for the challenges we will face in Rio in defending our gold medal,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball chairman and national team managing director. “We’re excited to give USA Basketball fans nationwide the opportunity to see their USA National Team." Don't miss your chance at seeing the 2016 U.S. Men's National Team in their last exhibition before they head to the Olympics!

The USA National Team will be coached by Duke University's Mike Krzyzewski. He will be assisted on the USA bench by Syracuse University’s Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim and NBA coaches Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder).

2016 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team Roster:
Carmelo Anthony
Harrison Barnes
Jimmy Butler
DeMarcus Cousins
DeMar DeRozan
Kevin Durant
Paul George
Draymond Green
Kyrie Irving
DeAndre Jordan
Kyle Lowry
Klay Thompson

ekubear1:
By Emmanuel Ogala
March 17, 2011 01:46AM
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The Senate has confirmed the ambassadorial appointment of Ijeoma Bristol, who could not recite the national anthem when she appeared before it a fortnight ago, on compassionate grounds.

Mrs Bristol, from Anambra State, had failed to impress the senate committee on foreign affairs at a screening of ambassadorial nominees. She was not able to recite both the national anthem and the pledge. She could also not say the capital of Jigawa State.

“She demonstrated fair knowledge of the job and what is required of her as an ambassador,  but was not knowledgeable on specific and general issues concerning the diplomatic concerns of Nigeria,” Jubril Aminu (PDP Adamawa State), head of the senate committee on foreign affairs, said in his report to the senate.

“She was nervous during the interview,” Grace Bent, another member of the foreign affairs committee added.

Despite her shortcomings, the senate’s foreign affairs committee recommended that she should be approved for the job “so that she will retire as an ambassador”.

Mr. Aminu told the senate that even though he was personally against Mrs Bristol’s approval for the job and had advised that she go and learn about Nigeria first, majority of the committee members were lobbied to approve her.

“I was in the minority,” he said.

He said that in solidarity with the wish of his committee members the nominee should be approved with “benefit of the doubt” because she is a career diplomat and next in line for the position.

The stance of the committee divided the senate with many arguing that Mrs Bristol should be dropped. The opposing senators argued that competence, intelligence and courage should not be sacrificed for age or affection.

“We cannot continue to allow mediocrity,” Olorunmibe Mamora (ACN Lagos State) leader of the opposition said. “It is not helping us; we cannot allow this lady pass.”

“Temper justice with mercy”

The leadership of the senate, however, pleaded with their colleagues to “temper justice with mercy”.

“Her case is a case of what we call poor pass,” the senate president, David Mark, said.

The senate president however was optimistic that if given the opportunity, Mrs Bristol would learn about Nigeria. He added that the resentment expressed by senators would deter President Goodluck Jonathan from sending incompetent nominees to the senate in the future.

Mrs Bristol was confirmed alongside 25 others.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5683742-146/senate_confirms_ambassador_who_failed_anthem.csp

CFCman:
Wow!
Thanks for the info. I hereby crown you Nairaland's official encyclopedia.

MELAA:
Shocker! Ambassador nominee can?t recite National Anthem

There was mild drama yesterday in the senate as the ambassadorial nominee for Anambra state Mrs Ijeoma Chinyere failed thrice to recite the national anthem and pledge respectively.

The nominee who is said to be a wife of serving Ambassador also failed to name the capital of Jigawa state, when asked to do so yesterday by the screening committee.


Daily Champion gathered that the poor performance of the nominee at the panel may deny the Ambassador designate her confirmation by the senate.


Senate had in the past stopped a former ambassadorial nominee who failed similar test on the floor .


Trouble started yesterday when the Senator Jubril Aminu led committee asked the beautifully looking nominee to recite both the national anthem and pledge,


Thrice she was asked to do so, thrice she failed. In-fact, she declined comment when one of the committee member asked her to name the capital of Jigawa state.


The atmosphere became charged when the chairman of the committee told the nominee that the committee was in for a serious business. Even the charming look of the female nominee could not disarm the senators as the committee insisted that the Anambra state nominee must go for a crash program for national anthem. Chairman of the committee in an outburst that may have unsettled the nominee?s associates said: "This not a joke, there is a problem".


The lawmakers wondered how a Nigerian who cannot recite the national anthem will represent the country in a foreign land.


Their worry however, turned to awe and consternation when the nominee declined to list correctly, the means of diplomatic communication. She listed memoranda, and notes as diplomatic means of communication.


President Goodluck Jonathan had two weeks ago presented a list of 24 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for consideration. The nominees are mainly career diplomats who are either in the foreign mission already or are with the ministry of foreign affairs. Mrs. Chinyere was said to be a wife of the Nigerian envoy in France.

kropotkin2:
The senator talks as if his opinion counts for anything. If it doesn't sit well with him he can make his own nomination

LydayBobo:
Ondo is an oil producing state, however the nominee is not from oil producing community which makes it wrong for someone to suggest his name to my President. Furthermore it safe to say Abaribe is also wrong to suggest another name outside the state. We should stop playing politics with everything in this country because Ajasin family are not the only one in Ondo state