Daily Independent Online.
*
Tuesday, August 24, 2004.
Oyedeji says no going back on Nigerian
boycott
By Peter Edema
Snr.
Correspondent,
Lagos
Former NBA star,
Olumide Oyedeji has ruled out the possibility of playing for Nigeria’s
senior national team, D’Tigers again.
He attributed his
decision to quit the national team to the poor players welfare, infighting
within the basketball family and attacks against his person by certain
entrenched forces within the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
He clarified his
position not to play again for Nigeria at a press conference heralding the 5th
edition of his pet project, Olumide Oyedeji Basketball Camp.
According to him,
certain forces within the NBBF see him as
a threat to their personal interest in the game and have taken steps
inimical to him, hence his decision to call it quits.
The 6 feet 9”
player, who is still searching for a club to play for next season, said,
“Some in the NBBF see me as a threat to their personal ambition. I am a
small boy, I am too young to go into such battle and the best way out for me is
to stay out.
“It is a
tough decision for me because I love my country, I love the game, I don’t
have another country, but it is a decision I have to take,” Oyedeji said.
He said after
making his stand known, no one has
called to inquire why he has taken such a decision, arguing that this shows that the federation concerned
itself less about the game, but were out to protect personal interests.
He promised to do
his best for the game even if he has to assist the national team in any
capacity, noting that his decision not to continue the sponsorship of the
basketball camp was as a result of the threat to his person by these forces.
The basketball
camp, according to him would hold at the University of Lagos Indoor Sports
hall, starting August 30 and ending September 4, 2004, noting that between
300-600 kids are being expected to participate.
To make this
edition an exceptional one, he said American coach, Rob Meus, who has attended
previous editions, safe the last one, would act as the camp director with
experienced coaches such as Ganiyu Otenigbagbe, George Berefori among others
have been invited to be part of the camp exercise.
He disclosed that
15 ex- internationals invited would act as instructors during the one week
affair, saying, “They are the ones who can easily demonstrate what is taught the kids for easy
understanding.”
The marketing
manager of Afrab Chem Nig Plc, Rotimi Olorunsola, who are part sponsors of the
Basketball Camp, said the company likes
to associate with what was noble, adding that there was the need to encourage
young people like Oyedeji who are contributing their quota to the development
of the country.
“If youths
are put in the right perspective at an early age, like what Oyedeji is doing,
the country is the better for it,” Olorunsola said.
He played for the
national team in Egypt August 2003 during the qualifiers for the Olympic games.
