SPORT NEWS: Is holding the Nigerian Passport a crime?

Olumide Oyedeji a Nigerian-British basketballer who has been a member of the senior men’s Nigerian national basketball team since 1997 has reacted to the recent visa denial by the Spanish Embassy to Nigerian female u 17 basketball players from participating at the FIBA u-17 World Championships.

In this interview with NAIJ.com Sports, the 35-year-old who currently plays for London Lions charged at Nigerian administrators on the essence of the Nigerian international passport. He also on speaks on his career, as well as Nigeria’s chances at the forthcoming Olympics.

Excerpts:

NAIJ.com Sports: Sir, how has the journey been over the years in basketball as you are regarded as one of the best products to come out of Africa to play the game?

First of all, I give thanks to Almighty God for me to make the journey this far. It’s not by my power but by His grace. I thank God for an injury free career despite having a little here and there but I have never had a major injury that set me back in my career for years.

Olumide Oyedeji in action for Nigeria
The journey has been nice, tough and rough and been so blessing; and I give thanks to God for what I’ve got through this game; it has already given me everything in my life, name, fame, security and I have a wonderful family.

Well, I think Nigeria’s chances are bright. We just have to start early preparation, supports and motivation and players have to be motivated and we are definitely equal to the task. We want to go and play in the medal-ranked table.

Basketball is a game and as I said after the press interview, I say happy birthday to the US because if you shoot 35/45, that means you are shooting about 80 something percent from the three point. We cannot stop that.

We tried to do everything possible but that was their day. In basketball, anything happens and that’s how it is in sports generally. Or do you want to tell me that the Brazilian team were that bad that they were beaten 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup?

The day might be your day, that was a US day and we were not that bad. You saw we won Lithuania who were No. 4 in the world, we beat Greece who were No.5 in the world. We held France No.6 in the world, Argentina No.7 we held them to about 7points; so that means we’re right there.

The game against the US should not be used to justify our performance. Even for us to be in the Top 12 in the world and we made it to the Olympics is a great achievement.

Is it a crime to have a green passport? So that means it is actually a crime to have it and that means it is a crime to be a Nigerian. It is just so unfortunate that our athletes have been treated shabbily, have been treated like criminals buy different embassies.

For example, there’s an athlete who was supposed to go for Olympic qualifying tournament in Turkey, she was denied visa by the Turkish embassy.

I can’t recollect right now, I have to check my records. So I am sure if we do more research, you will know why she got denied; and look at what our athletes go through to go to Europe, South America and whatever…what the go through to get these visas..they are always denied.

We are out there to promote the image of the country, to keep the country’s flag flying, and the get denied.

What our administrators, legislators and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs doing? Is it because the all have official passports? What about other people. The people that actually deserves these official passports don’t have and they should because they are the true ambassadors.

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