Basketball : Why I Want To Play For Nigeria -Owoeye

A Canadian based young Nigerian Basketball player, Daniel Owoeye, is eager to wear the green-white-green Nigeria jersey representing the country.

Owoeye who left the country as a teen some years back said his greatest ambition right now is to play for Nigeria, his home country.

Daniel Owoeye, A medical practitioner like his father, and Alumni of Mont Royal University, Canada said he is back in the country for basketball.

“I Want to play for Nigeria my country, that is why I’m here.
I am looking for a professional basketball team to put myself into. I don’t want to sabotage what I have built foundation wise by going to the wrong area.

“I want to build skills so that I can adapt in the right way. Right now, I am still building my fame, skills and strength”, he said

Owoeye who has his eyes on Toronto Raptors for his professional basketball is also looking forward to play as short forward or Centre.

Continuing, Daniel Owoeye said sports teaches you more than the skills you need for the game. The facility you meet in the sport will help you build the strong mindset you need and the environment.

“I want Nigeria to improve on her sports facilities but that I know will come with time.
Good facilities help players to focus less on injuries and focus more on the sport itself Bad facility is a big distraction to athletes focus.

“They will worry too much on how to push themselves to the hardest to finish and win the game instead of focusing on the game and it’s technicalities, and looking for support for the sport we know we can build. So I’m here because I want to grow the game.

“If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t have come.I have experienced Canada and now I want to come home and support the sport that we grow. Basketball in Nigeria is still at a growing stage when compared with that of Canada.

“There is a saying that “as good as the environment you grow in. Your environment can make you strong or make you week.
The facilities in Canada help you build on the level you are. They present you with the resources you can access in order to help you grow, but it comes at a cost.

“As I came into Nigeria, the facilities I have been seeing is not just obviously of the same standard as Canada’s facilities and that is just with the environment itself.

“I understand that in Nigeria, sports may not be the number one focus, but sports teaches you more than the excuse you need for the game. The facilities you meet will help you build the mindset you need for the sport .

I want Nigeria to improve her sports facilities but that will come with time because, no one will want to play in a hostile environment, that’s why
we want to build a solid foundation for Nigerian basketball.

The same thing goes with nutrition which seems to also be lacking especially water which helps players release their dehydration from expensing too much energy.

When asked of his Community Outreach project in Canada and his plans to replicate same here in Nigeria,
Owoeye, said the focus is on young and junior ones.

“I came here to love basketball and wants Nigerian children to have the same passion.

On his relationship with some known Nigerians that are hitting big global basketball scene like Massai Ujiri, of Toronto Raptors, Owoeye who is often refered as DO ( his name’s abbreviation ), frankly said they have not actually met but believe that the door is still wide open for that.