Mfom Udoka was the assistant coach of the national women basketball team, also known as D'Tigresses. Until she was removed from the team during the just-concluded Maputo 2011 All Africa Games, the former Nigerian captain was working with other coaches as they tried to find a way past the old enemy, Angola, in the battle for the gold medal of the event in Maputo. Unfortunately for the national team's former star, she could not stay with the team till the end of the battle in which Nigeria could only manage a bronze medal. Looking back on the turn of events at the Games, Udoka, who spoke with CHRISTIAN OKPARA at Team Nigeria's Zimpetu Games Village before she left Maputo for her base in the United States (U.S.), said things would have been managed better if the authorities had taken time to investigate the allegations against her. She also spoke on other issues bordering on the development of Nigerian basketball.THE news of Mfom Udoka's suspension from the Nigerian women basketball team following allegations of indiscipline and inciting of players against constituted authority shocked Nigerian journalists covering the 2011 Games. The journalists were surprised because just a few days earlier, the U.S.-based Nigerian former star was all over the place trying to ensure that the women team was in good shape for the battle for the basketball event gold medal.Mfon Udoka was a sad woman when The Guardian met her at the Maputo 2011 Games Village, where all the athletes and officials of Team Nigeria camped during the Games. She was sad because what promised a fulfilling moment for her in the national team brought a disappointing end to her sojourn as a national women basketball team coach.She said she was particularly pained that nobody bothered to investigate the allegations against her before the decision to send her packing from the team. According to Udoka, she ran into problems with the head coach, Ayo Bakare, because her intentions were misunderstood: 'The entire problem started after coach Bakare was sent to handle the men's team,' she said.'He left us in the United States for Madagascar (where the male team went for the London 2012 Olympics qualifiers) without any instruction as to how we should go about preparing the team for the All Africa Games. I believe as a head coach he ought to have left specific instructions (on) what should be done in his absence.'When he rejoined the team after the Madagascar assignment, the coach overturned everything we had done. The first thing was to sack the second assistant coach, Patrick Omo-Osagie, with whom we handled the team in America. He said he heard that we were planning to take his job. He never cared to ask any questions.'I thought the thing would be resolved when the truth was revealed, but nobody cared to find out the truth. Honestly, I was saddened when the Nigerian Basketball Federation President, Tijani Umar, accepted the stories and took decisions without hearing from the other side. When I was engaged, I thought I was coming to serve my fatherland. But I realised so late in the day that I was told half-truths.'Udoka, who played for Nigeria for seven years - from 2000 and 2007 - has no regrets serving the country. But she is sad that her sojourn came to such an ignominious end, stating: 'I know what I have done for Nigerian women basketball. I played for seven years for the national team. Throughout that period and beyond, my name became synonymous with Nigerian women basketball team.'I have done my best for my country and I am proud of the modest achievements I had with the national team. I thought that was why they brought me in; to play the role of a figure the girls could look up to - a role model of sorts.If I knew things would end up this way, I perhaps would have trained hard to come back as a player because I was invited to come and play. I would have played. But when I thought of my weight and my knee, which still hurts, I accepted the other offer to come in as assistant coach.'But why would Udoka accept a job as assistant coach when she had no formal training as a coach: 'I have had some experiences as a coach in the college. I used to handle the college team and the experience from my active days as a player. I played under some of the best coaches in the game and I believe my experience over the years prepared me for the role. But this is the first time I have had the opportunity of handling a senior team.'After her experience in the national team, Udoka said it would be difficult for her to work for the national team again, adding, however: 'You never say never, but next time a lot of things have to be in place for me to accept the offer. We will both look at the conditions, my functions will be well spelt out and certain things must be done before I can consider such an offer in future.'But I believe if that will be done then this is the best time. This is the time I am free. I have all the time to do anything. Right now, I am still trying to settle down after my playing career. As a young lady, I am thinking of settling down. I am thinking about raising my own family. This is the time I am free. You never can tell what will happen in the next one year.'But there is so much politics here in the appointment of coaches. They keep recycling the same faces every year. That is why we have remained static. In fact, it is worse now than it was a few years back.
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