I Won’t Disappoint Nigerians

Shortly after the Chief Coach of Deepwaters Basketball Club, Lateef Erinfolami was appointed to take charge of the National U-16 female basketball team by the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, ADEBOBOLA ALAWODE cornered him, during which he disclosed that he would do all within his means not to disappoint the board and Nigerians.

How did you feel about your appointment as the Chief Coach of the National U-16 female team?

I must confess to you, I’m very elated and also know that it is a call to service. It is a call to national duty. Moreover I’m not the only basket ball coach in the country.

Did you envisage your appointment?

I never did. I also didn’t know that the NBBF was monitoring me but I want to thank them for giving me the pedestal to show what I can do.

You didn’t know of your appointment but you were on ground when the pronouncement was made?

You seem not to get me; I actually came here as a coach of a female basketball team to know how the Zenith Women Basketball league would run. However, when the announcement was made, I didn’t know I would be appointed a national team coach.

What are your expectations now?

As a coach I know what it takes to lead people especially the opposite sex. Within a short time, the team I coach have made credible impact on the female league. Now that my work has earned me a call up to the national team even if it is the age grade, at least I would start from somewhere.

How will you combine club and national team duty?

There is no big deal in combining both because I have assistants at the club and the national team, when I’m on national duty my assistants at the club would take charge.

Don’t you think you may be under pressure?

I can’t be under pressure because those that appointed me know about my ability, so I won’t let them down.

How will you select members of your team?

Picking my team would be something tedious for the technical crew because we all are aware of the task given to us and we won’t want our names to be tarnished. We will be visiting the nooks and crannies of the country to pick the best hands that would be part of our plans both now and the future. We are looking at a situation, where we pick the best basketball players in the country.

How will you curb the age cheat problem which has become a recurring decimal in sports?

We are aware of that, we are not going to fall victim to that as we would be using pupils from secondary schools across the country. We would also be liaising with organisations that have been staging basketball competitions in the country. Let me also state that all the members of the U-16 female team will be from secondary schools. No member of the team would be outside the secondary school.

How will you rate female basketball in the country?

It is developing compared to what it used to be. We would get there very soon.