By Nthabiseng Makhokha
Oderah Chidom announced on Twitter on Monday, July 10th, that she will “no longer play for the Nigerian national team.”
With a quote inserted on the image of her announcement, The 28-year-old AfroBasket champion points out that her reason for doing this is to “shed light on the lack of professionalism within the federation,” and that some changes need to be made.
Chidon went on to attach a video to her post, explaining that she would love to continue playing but cannot agree with the current federation and “the way they do business.”
The open tryouts, according to Chidom, were the final straw for her following the turmoil in Nigerian basketball that resulted in the team's withdrawal from the FIBA World Cup, she revealed to ESPN.
Rena Wakama was appointed as the team's head coach by the federation last month and the announcement of open tryouts for the women's squad in Chicago, Lagos, and Abuja from July 8 to 11 came after her appointment.
“The trigger for me was seeing an Instagram post of open tryouts in three different locations three weeks before Afrobasket," Chidom told ESPN, “I will not be attending. I don't think that's professional at all. I consider myself a professional. And I don't think it's okay for me to pay my way to try out for something when I think I have a resume that speaks for itself.”
"I have standards of how I conduct business at the professional level, and Nigeria continues to disappoint me.”
Tweeps chimed in to support Chidom.
“A lot of athletes need to do the same because most of us know that the sports side in Nigeria is trash,” Mills The Creator tweeted.
“In the nearest future, you will discover that this will be the greatest decision you have ever taken in your life. Go baby,” another tweet by LB Games Stips said.