Coach accuses
NOC, ministry of trading his Athens Olympic accreditation
Stories by Peter
Edema
Snr.
Correspondent,
Lagos
Coach Adewumi Aderemi had not the slightest
inclinations that he would not be part of the D’Tigress team to the
Athens Olympic Games women basketball event.
He cannot develop such inclinations because
he started the building of the women team from the cradle. In fact, he was the
most experienced coach on the D’Tigress bench. He was part of the team preparation and participation and
eventual successes in the 8th All Africa Games basketball event, the African
Nations women basketball championship in Maputo, Mozambique in December 2003.
Aderemi, however, learnt of his exclusion
from the team the day the basketball contingent arrived Athens, Greece from
Germany.
The sad aspect of the saga was that the
secretary general of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Miss. Chinedu
Ezeala was in the know that the coach was not accredited for the Games three
weeks before leaving for Athens, but failed to inform the coach.
“It was at the Airport in Athens that
I knew that I was not accredited for the Games,” said Aderemi at the
weekend in Lagos.
He accused the Nigeria Olympic Committee
(NOC) and the Sports Ministry of conspiracy, alleging that they traded his
Athens Games accreditation to another person.
He disclosed that all the coaches filled
their accreditation forms in February, noting that he was certain that he was
accredited for the Olympic Games.
“I am sure my accreditation was given
to someone else. I can’t tell which of the organisation gave it out, but
it is between the sports ministry and the NOC.
“All the other teams have no less
than five coaches on their bench, only Nigeria that has two coaches. There was
no way I could have been denied accreditation. I am sure I was accredited for
the Olympics.
Aderemi said both the players and the team
head coach wore forlorn looks when it dawned on them that he would not be part
of the team at the Games.
“All the players cried openly, while
Vincent went mad. He called Chinedu many unprintable names. He openly abused
her at the Athens airport.
“Vincent is a straight forward
person, he doesn’t hide his feelings. There was no way Chinedu could claim ignorance, it is
not possible,” he said.
According to the coach, when the intrigues
wan on, the federation president, Mr. Jacob Gyang Buba was contacted and he
made it known to the ministry non of the coaches must be dropped from the
Games.
“Vincent was also contacted, but he
directed them to the president. With the president saying no, it was believed
that the matter was dead. Every body was caught off guard when it became public
knowledge in Athems.
The sports minister, Col. Musa Mohammed,
according to him, also expressed surprise at his non-accreditation for the
Games, adding that this would be the second time he would be dropped
un-ceremoniously from national team.
The first time he said was in 1999, during
the preparation for the All Africa Games in South Africa, saying that he would
never accept national coaching assignment in future without being sure of his
accreditation before leaving the country.
Aderemi, who said he bears no grudge with
no one and never regreted not being part of the Games, said the team might have
performed better or otherwise.
“But what I know is that three heads
are better than two. I understand the psychology of women basketball players
than two of them.
“Vincent is
having his first women assignment, while Scott Nnaji is not very close to the
players. So I seem to understand the players psychologically than the
remaining,” Aderemi said.
