TheCable

Kehinde Bassey, the coach of Nigeria Immigration Service women basketball team, says she is not threatened when her team play against any of those managed by her male counterparts.

“I am competent to manage a team, as any of the male coaches,” Bassey told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ilorin.

Bassey coaches one of the 16 teams taking part in the 10th Zenith Bank National Women Basketball League in Ilorin.

She said she was no less competent as she would pass on to her players the same instructions her male counterparts would pass to their players during a match.

“I feel good being a female basketball coach. I do not have any complex when my team confronts one coached by a male counterpart.

“Since we have the same number of players, why should I be threatened by their presence?

“We are playing basketball, the things the male coaches know are what I know too,” the NIS coach said.

Bassey said what led her into taking up the job were her passion for the sport and the desire to impart in others, particularly the younger generation, what she knows.

“I have had the benefit of being trained by very good coaches and also played competitive basketball at the highest level. So, I have much to give out to others,” the coach said.

She however said female basketball had improved tremendously in recent times, and praised the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar, for the improvement.

The coach described the ongoing 2013/2014 Zenith Bank National Women Basketball League as a success and urged the organisers to maintain the standard and further improve on it.