Charles Ogundiya 
After over two years break, the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League returned in 2023 with the First Phase of both the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences already concluded. Customs Women Basketball Club are currently leading the Savannah Conference after recording five wins in five games. National team star and Customs’ player, Nkem Akaraiwe, in an interview with CHARLES OGUNDIYA spoke about the league and other issues. Experts:
The Second Phase of the Women’s League Savannah Conference starts on Monday, September 18, what are the expectations from Customs Women Basketball Club after winning all your games in the First Phase?
Yes, we won all our games in Jos but right now we are all in zeros. We are trying to make some little adjustments, we had little issues in Jos during the First Phase and we are trying to put together a team (not necessarily the same team), but a team that could work towards our main target, which is to play at the finals in Lagos next month.
The Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League was off for some years due to COVID-19 and some other unforeseen circumstances. How happy are you to see the league returning and players getting back on the court?
I feel happy and it’s nice to see lots of players that I have not seen for years unlike before where you see regular faces. It is good that we’re starting from somewhere again trying to build the game again. I am happy and really excited.
You just mentioned seeing players you have not seen for a while now, surely you will be seeing some new faces and some you have seen before either not playing again or already moved abroad, what would you say about the gap?
The teams we have currently, you will notice that they are totally new faces, young players (not too young ) and very few veteran players which has created havoc on the game itself. Speaking about the game, the level that we play the game is not the same.
In terms of knowing the basics of the game. Players have to start all over again trying to remind themselves about the game. There isn’t the same hunger to play like before knowing fully well that players don’t practice like they used to, since we are not sure of when we are playing a competitive games.
Would you say the long break of the league affected the chances of home based players in the final list of D’Tigress at the last AfroBasket tournament?
I believe in one thing, people work towards a goal, they have to set a plan and work towards it. Right now or let me say, nobody had the mind of when the league would start, so there was no avenue for them to showcase themselves for the national team so I think it affected it.
With the return of the league, do you think the players would get back to their best before the finals in Lagos?
Surely yes, from the qualifiers there was a program on girls and a lot of girls have gone back to training. I don’t think they will get to 100% before the season runs out but I think they will get to some certain extent which they are looking forward to.
Before now, we played till August but now they will keep getting back gradually. Hopefully, injuries won’t come in, because that’s the biggest thing to hope for now. When you are out for so long, you need to gradually get back to the form.
The experienced players will know how to get up to speed and the younger players will learn from them.
Customs Women Basketball Club have always been a top side, but we now have teams like Air Warriors, MFM, your perennial rivals and your former club, First Bank, are you looking forward to winning this time around?
No disrespect, everyone is looking forward to their team winning the title, it’s the same way we are too. No one is entitled to the cup, everybody will fight for it. The same way we are preparing for the season is same way other teams are preparing too, but we are going to try our best to win it.
Looking at you, how did basketball start for you?
Asides school, it was one of the ways I used to prevent sitting around and not having anything to do after school hours.
So why basketball and not some other sports or something else…
(cuts in) From tender age, I saw my dad and a few of my siblings trying to throw things around. There was actually a ring tied round a coconut tree in front of our house where we just threw things and that’s just how it started for me.
I didn’t like it then, I was just doing it for the fun of it, because I didn’t even know I will take it so seriously now and it will take me to where I am now.
So that means they accepted you playing basketball in your family?
My dad actually played too but he didn’t play this far. My senior brother played a little, but I was the only one that took it up professionally.
How has it been, being a professional basketballer?
It is really tough because as a professional, they don’t want to know how you feel; they just want you to perform when you get on the floor. Just like Asake said, it is lonely at the top, very lonely.
You have to work hard and put in your efforts, time and money, if you want to be the best and remain at the top it will take a lot from you. You have to be mentally sound and also healthwise.
You have been at the AfroBasket competition which you won once in 2021. What was the experience like playing for the national team?
It was a great experience and outing. Knowing you will see lots of great players, the ones you can learn from, you know sometimes you can learn without playing and just by watching.
You have to be a student of the game, knowing the game better and even coaching the game and even knowing one step ahead what players want to do.
You just mentioned coaching the game, are you thinking of going into coaching after your career?
No, I don’t think I have the patience to tell a player what to do over and over again. There are some things I could teach like the technical side of the game from the sidelines but I don’t think I have patience to be a coach.
You are a Custom officer and basketballer. How do you manage the two together?
Like I said, it’s not easy but I think the best thing to do is at any point in time, focus on the duty at hand, at the office or the court. Giving a 100% focus and attention and you will be fine.
If you are not a custom officer or a basket- baller, what would you have ventured into?
I think I will be a human rights activist. A lawyer.
Are you working towards that?
Not at all, I am concentrating on what I am doing now and that’s to give my best to my career as a player and also my job as a Custom officer.
You are a lady, a beautiful one at that, there will be issues of men, how do you manage, or are you married?
I am not married yet, although those are side attractions. As a player who has played this far. you should know how to handle these situations.
