Nigerian-American Andy Ogide is hoping the Nigeria Basketball Federation will invite him to star for D’Tigers in the July FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament win Venezuela. The Lagun Aro GBC forward hails from Atlanta, Georgia.
Ogide believes he is good enough to make Nigeria’s national team aiming to reach London. Nigeria is eyeing one of the three places still available for the games and will be among the 12 sides trying to claim one of them in Caracas.
They will play in Group B against Lithuania, a team that has played at every Olympics since 1992, and hosts Venezuela.
“I’ll definitely go to camp and we’ll see what happens,” Ogide said to FIBA.com.
When it comes to this summer, Ogide knows he will have to be in top shape, and form, to make the Nigerian team.
“They have a lot of talent. I have talked to one of the coaches when I was with my last team, so that’s good. I know there will be good competition going into the camp but I’m just looking forward to the opportunity. I have family in London as well so I’d love to be able to play there. It would mean everything to me. I’m from Atlanta and I was able to go to the Olympic Games in Atlanta and the atmosphere there was unreal. I never dreamed I might have a chance of playing there so it would mean the world to me. Hopefully, I’ll make the team. I want to go. I know we didn’t qualify, but I’ll go to camp and see what happens.” He enthused.
Ogide joined Nigeria for some of their workouts before Afrobasket 2011 but did not play for the team at the event in Madagascar, where the national side finished third.
On his experience in Spain, he said: “I’m getting used to the game here and trying to help out my teammates as much as I can. I love being in Spain so far, so, hopefully I can stay a little longer. I was doing well in Breogan but then kind of fell out with the team a little bit and decided to leave. Lagun Aro called me up, so I guess I did well enough when I was playing there. It’s very good here. I love playing basketball against tough competition. I have no problem getting up for every game because you are going to face great players and that’s one thing I’m excited about.” He said.
About his future, he said he is taking things one day at a time and would leave that to his agent. “I don’t know. My agent handles all that. I would love to play here as long as possible, but you never know what happens. I’ll go back home in the summer, NBA workouts and stuff and see where my career takes me. But I would love to play in Spain again if I had the opportunity.”