IN PARIS OLYMPICS

Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have defeated Canada by a margin of nine points, 79-70, in their third Group B match of the Paris 2024 Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The victory earned them a place in the history books as the first African basketball team to reach the quarterfinals at the Olympic Games.

The Rena Wakama-led team, ended the first quarter tied 18-18, but dominated the second quarter to extend their lead to 41-37 by halftime.

D’Tigress increased their momentum, overpowering the Canadians in the third quarter to widen the gap to 64-42, as they sealed their victory by finishing the fourth quarter with a score of 79-49.

President Bola Tinubu has praised the impressing of the D’Tigress against Canada in the Paris 2024 Women’s Basketball event.

Reacting to the team’s performance, Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, enjoined the brave D’Tigress not to rest on their oars until the final victory is won.

The President also lauded the team for their uncommon demonstration of resilience, teamwork and diligence.

With the victory, D’Tigress now look forward to their quarter-final match, aiming to continue their remarkable journey at the 2024 Olympics.

Meanwhile, Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has congratulated D’Tigress, for their remarkable achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Enoh expressed immense pride in the team’s achievement, stating that D’Tigress have made the nation proud with their remarkable performance.

He said their journey to the quarterfinals was a testament to their dedication, hard work, and unyielding spirit.

Also, World basketball governing body, FIBA, has congratulated Nigeria’s D’Tigress following their historic qualification into the quarter-finals in the Paris Olympic Games.

Reacting to the win, FIBA wrote on their X handle that the first ever African team (Men or Women) to play in at the Olympics Quarter-Finals.

Super Eagles star, William Troost-Ekong has celebrated D’Tigress’ remarkable victory over Canada.

Troost-Ekong took to the social media to celebrate the team’s historic feat.

Team Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi ran a new personal best of 44.50 seconds to book an automatic spot into the semi-finals of men’s four hundred metres at the Paris Olympic.

Ogazi Closed in very fast to finish second and earned his place in the semis in the race that was won by USA’s Quincy Hall who ran 44.28 seconds.

He is now the first Nigerian male quarter-miler to qualify for the four hundred metres semifinals at the Olympics in twenty-four years.

Meanwhile, it was not good news in the men’s one hundred metres as both Kanyisola Ajayi and Favour Ashe failed to make it to the final.

Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour has won Africa’s first-ever medal in gymnastics at the Olympic, when she clinched the gold medal in Paris.

Nemour topped the reigning world champion from China, Qiu Qiyuan, and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Suni Lee.

Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz in thrilling fashion to secure a long-awaited Olympic title and complete the career ‘Golden Slam’.

Djokovic, who won a men’s record 24 majors and swept up every title in tennis, finally clinched Olympic gold at his fifth Games.

The Serb, put in his best performance of the year to beat French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 in front of a packed crowd in Paris.

Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood had to settle for Olympic silver in the men’s golf after falling agonisingly short of American world number one Scottie Scheffler in an enthralling finale.

The Englishman also misjudged an approach on the 18th as he attacked, settling for a par which secured the silver medal.

Adam Peaty has questioned China’s relay victory on the final of swimming at the Paris Olympics, saying there is no point winning if you are not winning fair.

China took gold in a thrilling men’s four by one hundred metres medley relay race, beating the United States into second and France third, with the British quartet finishing fourth.

Great Britain’s Amber Rutter says it is a dream to come away with an Olympic silver medal, despite the controversial end to her gold medal bid in the women’s skeet final.

The 26-year-old finished tied on 55 shots from 60 targets with Chile’s Francisca Crovetto Chadid.

Chadid, struck with both her next shots to clinch her country’s first ever shooting gold medal.

Belgium have pulled out of the Olympic mixed relay triathlon at Paris 2024 after one of their athletes fell ill.

The Belgian Olympic Committee did not reveal what illness Claire Michel was suffering from.

Daniel Wiffen has earned his second medal of the Paris Olympics after finishing in third place in the one hundred and five metres freestyle final which was won by the USA’s Bobby Finke.

Finke set a world record of 14 minutes 30.67 seconds with a stunning performance while Wiffen was third (14:39.63) behind Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri (14:34.55).

Harry Hepworth became the first British man to win an Olympic vault medal with bronze in a high-quality final in Paris.

Hepworth’s score of 14.949 bettered that of compatriot and reigning world and European vault champion Jake Jarman (14.933), who finished fourth.

The Philippines’ Carlos Edriel Yulo secured his second gold of the Games (15.116) having topped the podium in the floor event on Saturday, while silver went to Armenia’s Artur Davtyan (14.966).

Boxer Cindy Ngamba says she was just human like any other refugee after making history by guaranteeing the Refugee Olympic Team a first Games medal.

The 25-year-old beat sixth-seeded Frenchwoman Davina Michel by unanimous decision on Sunday to reach the women’s seventy-five kilograms semi-finals.

Kristen Faulkner became the first American winner of the Olympic women’s road race in forty years with a late solo attack in Paris.

A disbelieving Faulkner crossed the line 58 seconds ahead of 2012 champion Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, who edged out Belgian world champion Lotte Kopecky for silver in a photo finish.

Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, Dina Asher-Smith and Bianca Williams reached the semi-finals of the women’s two hundred metres at Paris 2024, after world champion Shericka Jackson withdrew.

Neita finished an agonising four-hundredths of a second off the one hundred metres podium in fourth on Saturday, as St Lucia’s Julien Alfred won gold.

NIGERIA

Nigeria’s Junior Tigers have secured the sole ticket to represent FIBA Zone 3 at the finals of the FIBA Africa U-18 basketball tournament, scheduled to be held later this year in South Africa.

The Junior Tigers’ road to the final was smooth as they began the campaign with a convincing 72-47 win over Ghana and followed it up with a comfortable 82-49 victory over Liberia in their second game.

However, they faced a keenly contested clash against Côte d’Ivoire, which ended 70-60 in favor of the Junior Tigers.

The final qualifiers in South Africa will serve as an opportunity to qualify for the FIBA U-18 World Championship.

Scottish Premiership side, Dundee United have announced the signing of Nigerian winger Meshack Ubochioma on a two-year deal.

Dundee United Confirmed the signing of Ubochioma in a statement on their website.

Meanwhile, Ubochioma said his targets in his first season at Dundee United are to score goals and also provide assists.

ENGLAND

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OTHER LEAGUE

Celtic have opened their Scottish Premiership title defence in imposing fashion by beating Kilmarnock four-nil.

Having unfurled the title flag amid fireworks and a party atmosphere, Brendan Rodgers’ side rose to the occasion with first-half goals from Reo Hatate and Liam Scales before Nicolas Kuhn added a deflected third and Anthony Ralston netted for the first time in two and a half years.

Kilmarnock put up a solid fight but their makeshift defence could not do much against a fully-firing Celtic side.

OTHER SPORTS

In Cricket, England opener Zak Crawley has been ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka starting this month because of a fractured finger.

The 26-year-old damaged the little finger on his right hand attempting to take a catch at second slip in the victory over West Indies at Edgbaston last week which sealed a 3-0 series clean sweep.

Surrey’s Dan Lawrence will open alongside Ben Duckett in Crawley’s absence.

In Rugby, Former Wales flanker Alun Carter has died at the age of fifty-nine.

In a playing career that took in spells at Pontypool and Newport, Carter made his Wales debut against England in 1991 and won the second of his two caps against Scotland that year.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Do not measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability….words from John Wooden.

THAT ENDS TBS SPORTS AS EDITED BY BABAJIDE ALLI-BALOGUN AND TOSIN OJOBORUN.