'I train wit pregnancy to set AfroBasket record' - Sarah Ogoke

"If I fit push pikin wetin be AfroBasket wey I no go fit play" na wetin Sarah Ogoke - Taylor, wey be di only African woman wey don win di Women African Basketball Championship five times tell BBC News Pidgin.

Sarah Ogoke na part of di Nigerian team wey win di just concluded tournament.

She participate just ova six months afta she born her pikin.

She answer di national call and also participate actively even as she dey nurse her pikin wey neva reach one year.

Di 2025 Africa Women Basketball Championship end last Sunday for Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

Nigeria win di continental titles for 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025.

President, Bola Tinubu shower cash gifts, house and national honour to di victorious team.

Sarah Ogoke wey also be certified medical doctor, share how she bin dey train and compete even wen she carry belle just to prepare for di championship.

She tell BBC News Pidgin say e bin no too dey easy for her as a nursing mother, but as she love basketball, her country Nigeria, and she get support from her team mates and technical team, even pipo from Nigeria govment ginger her to set dis record.

'My husband ginger me to enta competition mood back afta I born'

For di exclusive interview wit BBC News Pidgin, di medical practitioner narrate how she bin wan give up her career to focus on her pikin afta she born, but her husband no gree, e ginger her to go back to training.

She say between three and six months she get her body back and begin compete well-well.

According to Taylor, pipo dey wonder how she take comeback to sporting shape within six months to compete for major tournament but her husband drag her go gym.

"Afta I born my son, I come dey feel somehow, my passion for basketball dey push me but di love wey I get to care for my baby dey one side.

My husband go begin show me my old pictures of how I bin dey play basketball, di medals I bin don win, im go remind me say na beta basketball player im sabi o, no be dis one wey dey hia o.

Im go motivate me wit di Afrobasket, im go ask me say e be like say I no wan make dem invite me to go play for di 2025 Championship. If I really want to go, I need to start training and begin play well.

As my husband ginger me finish wit pictures, im carry me go gym, from dia I begin train"

During training and any competition dat time, na her husband dey do most of di house work just to support her dream.

She say im go change napkin, carry di baby, baff di pikin and oda house tins.

"Na di ginger wey my husband give me, di domestic support and passion wey I already get for basket na im make me play to set dis record. Bifor I born, I bin dey train wit pregnancy, I dey compete dey win for my first trimester" she add.

'Nobody wey no carry my pikin for di championship'

She add say she fit nurse her pikin and compete well for di tournament sake of di support wey her team mates and technical team give her. According to her, her son Bentley turn to community pikin wey evribody dey carry just to give her small space to train, play or rest.

"Plenti times dey wey my teammates, di technical team go come carry my pikin, evribody for di team carry am at one point or di oda. Even Minister wey come watch di match carry am, so e no get any point wey im becom eproblem to me"

Some go change im diapers, some go try to make am sleep, some go carry am dey play wit am and I tank all of dem well-well"

She explain say she dey use breast milk dey cool am down sometimes, even for side of di court wen she no dey play she go dey breastfeed am.

"Even wen I dey train, I get to feed my pikin becos God don create us to feed our children wit our body.

'I bin dey play football wit boys'

Sarah Ogoke-Taylor start her basketball career as footballer, she bin dey play wit boys for her street for village.

From dia she begin join her friends wey be boys to play basketball. Her passion, talent and skill for di sport bring scholarship for her to study abroad.

From dia she begin play basketball for her university, sotay dem honour her.

She tell BBC News Pidgin how she take become part of di national women's basketball team for Nigeria.

"My teammate wey dey play for di boys team bin ask me one day if I be Nigerian, I say yes, im ask for my details I give am, but I bin no take am serious, becos since I dey visit Nigeria I neva hear say dem get any women basketball team or structure.

Di Pittsburg University graduate say, na afta one year one random number call her for 2011 and dem kon invite her to come play for Nigeria and since dat time she dey proud to play for her country.

"Mfon Udoka wey dey part of di team wey win Nigeria first and second African championship for 2003 and 2005 bin call me to come training for dia camp for Florida, USA."

She say she bin. still dey college dat time and end up as di only college player for di team, since den, she dey happy to play basketball wit her sisters [D'Tigress].

Sarah wey bin major in Biology before she become medical doctor dey happy well-well say she don get her own house for Nigeria wey her family fit call dia own sake of President Bola Tinubu wey dash di team flats and money

About di Basketball league for Nigeria, she say all sports for di country need beta investments to grow and develop talents.

"Di country don produce many beta basketball players especially from di local women league wey get one consistent sponsor for many years and if odas join hand and even di govment put hand for sports, many youth wey get talent go dey discovered," she conclude.