Na just about two weeks e take Rena Wakama to prepare D’Tigress for dia history-making performance for di 2023 Africa Basketball Nations Cup for Rwanda.
Wakama wey dey 31 years old lead di Nigerian female basketball team to dia fourth consecutive title. Dem win all dia games up until di final wey dem beat archrival, Senegal.
She make history as di first woman to win di Basketball Nations cup for Africa since e start for 1966.
“I get confidence to take up di D’Tigress job at di dying minute sake of say I be Nigerian woman, wey dey fight and we no dey give up and we no dey quit, na di spirit be dat,” di delighted Wakama tok for interview wit BBC News Pidgin.
She add say “I dey very competitive, I believe say I go fit do anytin and na wetin ginger me thru dis past month to dey able to push thru anytin. Wen I take di job I bin dey 100 percent convinced say I go fit do am”.
Rena Wakama name begin make waves wen di Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) announce her as di new coach of Nigeria Basketball team.
Di announcement shock pipo sake of say she be woman and time dey short for her to prepare well.
“Wakama na former 4-year letterman for di University of Western Carolina she play professional basketball for di United Kingdom, in addition to play for di Senior Nigerian National Team.
NBBF wey officially announce her on 30 June 2023 add say di contract na initially for two years.
Who is Rena Wakama
Rena Wakama na from Rivers State, South-south Nigeria – she tell BBC Pidgin say wit all di tins wey don happun since she lead di D’Tigress to win di nations cup, di title big pass her.
She say na plenty emotions she feel as she dey for di touchline during dia final match against Senegal.
“Rages of emotion, I no bin believe say e go actually happun, I don dream of dis moment and di final seconds, na tears of joy dey flow from my eyes, I feel big relief becos I don achieve sometin wey nobody don do before, and I dey grateful and happy.
“Yes, I know say I go win dat match from di very start, I bin dey very confident me and my girls prepare for dis moment but I bin still dey realistic to di fact say anytin fit happun for basketball.
So as we kontinu to dey play, we kontinu to show say we dey win by double digits, e feel really good say we dey able to pull am off.”
Excited Rena narrate to BBC how her childhood dream become her true life story. She say di victory mean plenti tins to her.
“To be di first woman to win di Afrobasket title for Africa, na dream come true, e mean plenti tins to me.
Since wen I begin dey play basketball ball from wen I be young girl I get dreams to dey able to perform or even coach at a high level.
And to dey able to do am for di front of my friends and family mean evritin to me.”
‘Kontinu to dey push’
Since Rena win di Afrobasket title, many young girls dey look up to her as dia mentor.
Dem wan draw inspiration from her and she get some words of encourage me for dem. She say make dem “continue to dey push”
“For young girls wey wan do sport or play basketball, na for dem to kontinu to dey push, make dem continue to dey try and fight for wetin dem believe in, if you get passion make you follow am because God no go put am for your heart if e no suppose to dey dia.So make dem continue to dey push”.
On how she select her players Wakama say she first know dem as pipo, “I get to know dem as women wey don get success for dia different states and schools, so I allow dem to dey comfortable, make dem be demsefs so dat we go fit work todega to achieve di same goal.”
she say to qualify for di 2024 Olympics for Paris na im be her next target, and she dey confident again say di girls go qualify.
