2014 ACCW: Ochuko vows Dolphin ‘ll prove mettle among Africa’s best

By Eddie Akalonu

Coach of Dolphin female basketball club of Lagos, Ochuko Okworogun, has said her team will be no push overs in the African club champions Cup for women competition in Tunisia November 28 through December 7.Speaking in Lagos as her team finalizes preparations for the event, she expressed delight at players response to training, saying that they will  with a mind to fight to enter the top ranks, not minding that opposing clubs  are some of the best in the continent We will definitely be fighters, not mere participants, she said. , Dolphin emerged champions of Zone-3 Burkina Faso, relegating First Bank to second place and both clinched the FIBA AFRICA Zonal tickets in the for continental finals against teams including champions Inter Clube of  Angola, USIU Flames and KPA of Kenya (Zone 5), INJS of Cameroon, and INSS of Democratic Republic of Congo (Zone 4), US Beau Bassin of Mauritius (zone 7) and CS Sfaxien of Tunisia, the host club. Senegal and others. Dolphin, who took a week of rest on return from the zonal test, Coach Ochuko, who said her side would go as the same squad that played the zonal, explained. “We are aware it is a competition that has traditional teams and former winners who are parked with experience, we will not let that worry us because we proved ourselves against some of the best in the zonal play-offs.. Though Dolphin players lack the kind of experience and exposure other teams have, we are more than determined to play knowing it is going to be tougher. However, we will give our best out there. One thing I am promising is that Dolphin will play not as outsiders but real contenders. We are preparing ourselves to be fit mentally and psychologically for it. We are not going to be any form of disgrace for Nigeria. Rather we are going to lift our game high in a ways that will earn us some respect in the continent and  come back home with our heads high as good ambassadors of Nigeria, she said.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s other team First Bank has set a target to win the title for a third time, according to Coach Aderemi Adewunmi. The Bank won the crown in 2003 and 2009.  According to Aderemi, “our aim is to lift our game and make our management and country proud. Our target is to gun for the African title once more.”