D’Tigers player Austin Akpejiori, who currently plays for Tunisian side Union Sportive El Ansa, is vastly travelled. The former Rivers Hoopers and Kwara Falcons’ forward talks about his journey as a basketball player, challenges faced by the Nigerian league, and more in this interview with EBENEZER BAJELA
How did your basketball journey start?
I think around 2006 or 2007, I went to a park close to my house in Akowonjo because my elder brother used to play basketball, and whenever he was at the park I would go there and watch him. That day, he asked me to try out, and I made a fool of myself. A lot of people laughed at me, but some people told me to keep pushing because it looked like I could play basketball, but I just needed some coaching.
I thought about it and I started training. I started playing basketball when I was in secondary school, and I attended some competitions as an amateur. After my brother travelled out of the country on scholarship, I realised that there was opportunity in the sport, and because I have always liked basketball, I started learning how to play it, and here we are. Basketball has presented so many opportunities for me, and that was how it all began.
To be honest, the journey has been great, and the process has been amazing. It is still a journey, just as you said, because it is a marathon and not a sprint; I am always taking it one season after the other. We are here not because this is an apparent situation but because there are a lot more steps and more places to go, more experience to gain. I watched a clip of my last game over a million times, and there were six different things that I could have done differently, and that’s the experience for me. The moment we make mistakes, the moment we correct them, and the moment of redemption—that’s how the whole journey has been for me.
While in Nigeria you played for River Hoopers and Kwara Falcons; now you are in Tunisia after also playing in Cameroon. How will you compare the system in Nigeria to those countries?
Nigeria ought to have been great, and the sports administrators in Nigeria are supposed to be the ones setting the standards for other countries to follow, but it brings up the question of why we are still as far back as this. Every time I needed a Nigerian team to go to a global stage or continental stage, they mirrored the possibility that we have as a basketball or sporting nation, but the reality is always a different thing because when you go back home, you see how much suffering, how much unseriousness at the top level, and how much lackadaisical attitude that we have towards sports.
It is annoying because when you see Nigerian athletes go out there, we are the most sought-after out there, but it is not the same in Nigeria. I think the reason why things are like that abroad is that we have this never-say-die attitude and always want to win, and I know for a fact that most Nigerians out there are doing exploits; they are either top players in their teams or leagues, but it is a rather unfortunate situation that we are in.
You’ve always been an advocate for Nigerian players and the lack of sponsorship in the league, but things are not getting any better. Why do you think we are in this situation?
To be honest, I think people at the helm of affairs don’t care, and that’s the truth because I believe if they do, they won’t just be paying lip service to all of these things. I have long come to terms with the fact that we should stop giving excuses for why we don’t get better. We can blame it on the NBBF for not giving us a league for a while, but players should be able to find a way because, as an athlete, I will not keep my career waiting for the federation that has refused to do the needful. I have to look for a way, but unfortunately, it is a bit difficult and not the same for other athletes. It is just unfortunate that we have the kind of people that we have at the helm of affairs.
One thing I will tell Nigerians is to keep their feelings aside because if they don’t, they will keep hurting themselves. They need to find a way out because, do you know how long we have been on this league issue about the stability of the federation and the basketball in Nigeria? It feels like the more people talk about it, the worse we get. I think most of these people are glad about it, and at the end of the day, they make a mockery of it at the end.
Rather than always getting angry about it, let’s find a way for ourselves because I can say for a fact that a lot of these people don’t care, and as a matter of fact, it is not just about giving us a league that will only last for two weeks or a month as a response to people’s comments. That is not a league in that you expect the local guys to compete against those playing close to 700 or 1000 games in the last five years. We see how people are complaining about how our locals are not being given the recognition they deserve; it is not their fault, but that is not an excuse not to get better by yourself. The federation has chosen not to give us what we deserve, and there is nothing we can do about that because if you fight against them, they will find a way to blackmail you or put you in the black spot where it looks like it is you against the government.
Why not just find a way out of the situation? Because from all the responses we have seen so far, they don’t care. Why do you have to keep feeling bad? My message to other athletes in the country is to get on your feet and find a way out.
What do you think will happen to the talents in the country if everyone keeps getting out?
It is killing the talent in the country, and it is sad. That is why I respect a former mentor because every time he has an opportunity, he always tries to tell people that there is so much money if they invest in sports and the youths in the country. Rwanda and Cameroon have recognised that. Tunisia realised that a long time ago, and these are African countries that I am mentioning. But unfortunately, I don’t know how to explain what is wrong with us in Nigeria.
You’ve played in Nigeria, Cameroon, and now Tunisia. Where do you think your next destination will be?
I always trust in God, and as much as I always trust in God, I always hope that I will get somewhere. I know that I am getting way better than where I am at the moment, and I am looking forward to that. I believe in my work ethic, and I also believe in God. I try to put my mind where my feet are and only focus on now.
From being a basketball player, your brother Raphael Akpejiori is now a professional boxer; it seems like sports run in the family.
My father used to be a professional footballer, and he once played for Bendel Insurance. He was a fantastic football player during his days. He was a midfielder, and he had a very high IQ. Also, my mom was a track and field person; she also played volleyball, which means it is safe to say athletics runs in the family.
Which game will you refer to as your best moment?
I think the best is yet to come, but if I am to pick, that will be the game I played recently where I had double-doubles with goal-scoring. I had 11 blocks and 12 rebounds, but I want to believe my best is yet to come.
