Bailey Segun Ayodele
What sparks your interest in wheelchair basketball?
BAILEY: I wasn’t interested in wheelchair basketball till a coach called me and introduced me to it, at first I couldn’t practice because there was no wheel chair to train with, I left but there was this tournament in 2012, of Hon Victor Ochei, a friend of mine invited me to come and join, after a while, I have
How young were you when you went for the tournament?
BAILEY: I was 13 years old.
TheSubstance Publication:
How long did you play wheelchair tennis?
BAILEY: five years.
TheSubstance Publication:

N i g e r i a n w h e e l c h a i r basketball player, who was formerly into wheelchair tennis. He walked his disability journey and encounter with TheSubstance Publication, in the interview, Bailey spoke about the challenges that faces the wheelchair basketball team in Nigeria, as well as his hope, aspiration and dream to one day play in the Paralympics game for
Nigeria. EXCERPTS.
access to training and I felt inclusive while playing with some of the National team players and from there I developed interest because wheelchair basketball is fun.

TheSubstance Publication:
Before wheelchair basketball, what were you doing?
BAILEY: I played wheelchair tennis, I travelled with wheelchair tennis in 2006 and I went to Holland for an underage tournament.
How did it start?
BAILEY: it all started in my primary school, when Coach Frank Tarmena came to my primary school, Atunda Olu School located in Surulere and we were drafted to national stadium, as at then, I played wheelchair tennis.

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How long did you play wheelchair tennis?

BAILEY: five years.
TheSubstance Publication:
How did it start?
BAILEY: it all started in my primary school, when Coach Frank Tarmena came to my primary school, Atunda Olu School located in Surulere and we were drafted to national stadium, as at then, I played wheelchair tennis.
TheSubstance Publication:
It seems you want to carve your niche with wheelchair basketball, why the preference over wheelchair tennis?

BAILEY: I love to coordinate people, I love to support people and I love to train people. Wheelchair basketball involves team work, the work is on all the team player, not a single person, no matter how good you are, you have to pass the ball to another person, that is where the love and fun is, unity, unlike wheelchair tennis, though fun as well but it’s an individual thing, you take your glory by yourself, however I love a collective effort.
How did you feel at your first competitive win?
BAILEY: I would say my first win was when I travelled to Holland, my dad went with me to the airport and he was in tears, he never thought that the game would take me outside the shore of the country and the second win was when I travelled to South Africa and when we came back, we were awarded by the former speaker of Delta State, Hon. Victor Ochei, he gave us $2000, my dad was the one that the money was given to, he was very happy, for me that was a big win.
How many countries have you travelled to for competitive game?

Bailey: Netherlands, while in Netherlands, I visited Germany for a week, Algeria, South Africa, Ghana and Angola.
TheSubstance Publication:
All for basketball or tennis?
BAILEY: Algeria, Angola, Ghana and South Africa was for basketball, then Holland and Belgium was tennis.

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When you ventured into sport, were y o u r f a m i l i e s a n d f r i e n d s supportive?

BAILEY: My families were supportive of my passion for sport and there was a particular woman on our street, I can’t recall her name, she used to support me with transport fare anytime I don’t have money for transport to go for training, she inspired me to do more for myself, she gave me the moral support needed and at that point I have no reason not to go for training.
Why was the money given to your dad and not you?
BAILEY: I was barely 17, I was too young to deal with that amount of money and they felt I can’t handle it, it was a big money.
TheSubstance Publication:
Did your dad shared the money with you?
BAILEY: I was given some from it, he took some from it and I was opened a bank account for as well. It was a win-win thing.
Did you ever experience racism while playing outside the country?

BAILEY: No, though it happens in sport but I have never experienced it.

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What is your driving force?

BAILEY: God and I believe that through sport I will be able to change my circumstances and be able to support other people and I strongly believe that one day I am going to represent Nigeria in

Paralympic game, so I have that to look forward to.
TheSubstance Publication: The other competitive game you’ve been travelling for, was it not Nigeria that you represented?

BAILEY: It was but its qualifying for Paralympic game, when you qualify for Paralympic game, you go for Paralympic. We have not qualified yet due to some little challenges.

TheSubstance Publication:
What are the challenges?

BAILEY: We lack training support and we lack equipment facilities, no moral support from the government and our camping has not been top notch, because when you are being prepared for those competitions, you have to be camped for two months or more, while most of our opponents were being camped for six months or more and we are expected to compete with those people.
Have you gone to the appropriate authorities for help, solicits from NGOs?
BAILEY: The SDGs (it’s a non- governmental organization) provided wheelchairs for us at a point, however the wheelchair were all in the same sizes, for someone like me that is a polio person, you have your size and there are people whose disabilities resulted from accident, which means their sizes would differ, unfortunately, the whole wheelchairs were in the same sizes.

We need tournament equipment as well to be able to compete with others. For the very first time, we started our league this year, the first phase was in Delta and the second

phase was in Abuja where it was c a p p e d o ff , w e n e e d m o r e tournaments to keep us going.

TheSubstance Publication:
While speaking about the SDGs wheelchairs, you mentioned polio, do you mean you were not born this way?

BAILEY: No, I wasn’t born this way, it was caused by injection, I was sick when I was age three, I was taken to the hospital for treatment, I was injected and when we got back, my parents noticed that the temperature was higher and I could not walk again.
Were you taken back to the hospital for complaint?
BAILEY: The doctor ran away.

TheSubstance Publication:
At a government hospital?
BAILEY: No, private.

TheSubstance Publication:
Did your parent take any legal action against the hospital?
BAILEY: No, the doctor was nowhere to be found and you can only sue someone you see.

TheSubstance Publication:
Do you have moments of regret due to the polio misadministration?
BAILEY: For me I see it as God’s will and I have come to accept the way I am and I can’t question God, though there are times I feel I would have been able to do more if I was able bodied.
TheSubstance Publication:
If not wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball, what other profession would you have ventured into?
BAILEY: I would have been a very good football player.
TheSubstance Publication: How does it feel to be successful at what you have passion for?
BAILEY: I won’ t say I am successful yet because I am still looking forward to play at the international leagues, to play in the European clubs and to also participate in Paralympics and when I am through with those stages, I w o u l d l o v e t o g o i n t o t h e administrative level.

TheSubstance Publication:
Aside wheel chair basketball, what else do you do?

BAILEY: I am into digital marketing, I sell anything that legally brings in money and I am a fitness instructor.
TheSubstance Publication: Do new trainees doubt your ability to effectively train them due to your disability?
BAILEY: Yes, but I do my best to convince them with trials.

You are a member of the Nigerian wheel chair basketball federation, what does it take to be a member?
BAILEY: A member is a player that plays for the National team that is elected into the board. We have an election every four years to join the wheelchair basketball, it’s by election and I am a player.

T H E S U B S T A N C E
PUBLICATION: There a r e s p e c u l a t i o n s t h a t N i g e r i a government Sport Administrative does not take care of their sport athletes, are you in anyway affected?

BAILEY: Nigeria administrative don’t really take care of their athletes, our welfare is not taken as a priority and that is bad. When we travel abroad, there are certain amount that we expected to be paid but the reverse is the case.
 TheSubstance Publication:
Have you won any medal so far?
BAILEY: Yes, the fourth edition of Hon. Victor Ochei, I won the MVP of the tournament, I wasn’ t expecting that I was going to be the MVP as that that stage, I felt very proud of myself and it pushed me to want to do more.
TheSubstance Publication:
How come you have not been drafted yet by a foreign club?
BAILEY: Wheelchair basketball in most African countries is still crawling but it’s a different thing in South Africa because theirs is more advance, maybe by the time we started having more leagues and tournaments, then we can have scouts that will come over to check us out.
TheSubstance Publication:
What set you apart from others?
BAILEY: The way I trained, how I position myself, my commitment towards trying to do something new, my skill, pace and ability to dribble are some of my uniqueness.
TheSubstance Publication:
Thank you for your time, it’s being nice talking with you.
BAILEY: thank you for having me

Bailey Segun Ayodele

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