LAGOS (FIBA World Championship) - In a recent chat with former Nigeria senior national team, D'Tigers captain Johnson Ayinla in Lagos, on issues bothering on the talent base in Nigeria and the nation quest for recognition at the forthcoming FIBA World Championships for men and women holding in Japan and Brazil and other numerous age group championship Nigeria will be taking part in, an assistant coach of D'Tigers to the 2003 FIBA Africa Championship bears his mind on lots of sundry issues on how best the country can make appreciable impact at the two world met.
BBJ as he is fondly called by admirers was in Abeokuta, Ogun State during the recently concluded 15th National Sports Festival and declared that the sky is the limit for Nigeria in the slamming and dunking game in both the Africa continent and the world. Excerpt:
Concerning home grown talents on display at the National sports festival?
Boy, I was impressed with what I saw at the festival. It was great to see and interact with the number of young talents on parade. I believed that with proper coaching and continue sponsorship by corporate bodies such as Vmobile, Nestle Milo, Indomie and others basketball is back on the right track.
Advice to NBBF as regards our world cup outing this summer?
I still believed that our national teams should be coached by our indigenous coaches for so many reasons and secondly continuation should be encouraged. The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, made a great move last year by making former senior national team coach, Ayo Bakare the technical adviser of the female team, Tigresses that eventually won the African championship last December. I hope they will try to retain him and I also hope that he will accept to stay on. We should not let his experience in Africa basketball go to waste. He's experience enough to serve as technical adviser to our national teams.
Any Advice to upcoming players?
They have to be patient, to be careful of the paper they sign and should beware of the people that advised them. They should always seek advise from older players e.g. Olumide, Abdul etc every time they are opportune to interact with them.
Present Job?
My basketball academy in the United Kingdom has just won the British U-19 championship third year running, I'm really proud of those young Men.
I'm the technical adviser to London Metropolitan University basketball teams and also with Nigeria 2005 Vmobile Challenge winner, Union Bank basketball club of Lagos. I'm really enjoying that role. I'm back at school for a Master degree program in Sport Management.
What are Nigeria's chances in the 2006 FIBA World Championship?
I'm sorry; I have to answer that question with questions.
When are we starting our preparation? Who's coach the team?
I sure hope that it won't be a foreign coach, but in all I think we will definitely make a statement in both Japan and Brazil because I know one thing for sure that our players are a determine lots who will always put in their best no matter the opposition.
I want to also appeal to the NBBF that time to start is now though a little behind other countries but I think it is not too late especially when most of our players are in top form, don't forget Olumide Oyedeji recent won the South Korea league title with his team, Gabe Muoneke is back in action, after injury setback early in their season, Tunji Awojobi and a host of other players are doing pretty well in the Israeli league, Ime Udoka just sign with the New York Knick in the America National Basketball Association, NBA league among other array of players scattered all over Europe, America and Asia.
Olusegun Ikuesan
Official Correspondent in Nigeria