Kalu tips D'Tigers to excel at London 2012

RAVE of the moment in Nigerian sports circle and national basketball team, D'Tigers, was yesterday likened to boxing legend, Dick Tiger Ihetu, by former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who urged the boys to perform more miracles in London.While describing the basketball team as the authentic Dream Team Four, Kalu prayed compatriots to shift all the attention given to football to the basketballers.He said: 'D'Tigers remind me of our own dear Dick Tiger. I do not know how they coined the name, but I am sure they will perform in Great Britain like the former world champion did in 1958 when he won his first major laurel.'The former governor was talking of the British Empire middleweight crown, which Dick Tiger grabbed by defeating Pat MacAteer of Birkinhead in Liverpool. Now D'Tigers is in London to fight for an Olympic medal in the same Great Britain.'These boys can move mountains,' he stated. 'The Americans' Bring them on. After dunking with the big names in Caracas, nothing is impossible.'For now, let us forget football. Ike Diogu is my new Rashidi Yekini, Olumide Ayodeji is Austin Okocha and Al-Farouk Aminu, our Nwankwo Kanu. I want us to start dancing like coach Ayo Bakare.'He also wished the team more than the luck of Kenyan welterweight boxer, Dick Tiger Murunga, who won an Olympic medal at the Munich Games in 1972. Kalu recalled: 'The first time somebody took the name Dick Tiger to the Olympics, he won a bronze in boxing.'This is the first time Nigeria will take that name to the Games. I am sure the spirit of Richard Ihetu will be with this team. Though Charles Nwokolo was at Los Angeles '84, he only adopted the sobriquet Young Dick Tiger when he turned professional.
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