AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE
Former captain of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team D’Tigresses and medical surgeon Dr Sarah Ogoke OLY has been confirmed as the lead at the basketball event of the Nigeria Diaspora Talents Development Committee multi-sports event being held in the UK on Friday July 17 .
Dr. Ogoke retired earlier this year after a meritorious international career that saw her become the only woman in history to win five consecutive Afrobasket titles. Donning the green and white colours for over a decade, Dr. Ogoke redefined women’s basketball on the continent. An icon of monumental promotion, she became the face of basketball in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.
The Olympian will take charge of Team Diaspora drills and an exhibition match at the Hertfordshire Sports Village, Hatfield where a handful of basketball players have committed to attend and showcase their talent.
The NDTDC is in the process of building a Team Diaspora for all major sports and from the level of engagement that it has received thus far, basketball seems to be a sport that can be encouraged to feed the diaspora into the fabric of the national teams in the future.
According to the Chairman of the Committee Dr. Tunde Adelakun, the presence of Dr. Ogoke will add value to the event and help in the actualization of the mandate handed to the Committee by the National Sports Commission..
His words, “To have Dr Sarah at the event of Friday underlines our commitment to show the sporting world that we have great stars like her, and that stars like her are willing and able to give their time and skill to help develop the future of sports in Nigeria.”
Dr Sarah, who is also a medical surgeon based in the United States, is a Vice Chair of the NDTDC and the US Project Lead of the Committee’s DAMMS (Diaspora Athletes Monitoring Mentoring and Support) Unit. She will be on hand to deliver drills and engage with aspiring basketball stars who have expressed excitement at being able to be in the same space as someone of her calibre.
The event, which will feature exhibitions in basketball, football, athletics, taekwondo, netball, table tennis and golf will have in attendance, the NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko, the Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade and the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK HE. Amb. Amin Dalhatu.
