Samuel: Teen D’Tigress shooting for success

Osaretin Samuel’s journey into the world of basketball began in a way she never imagined.

Despite showing no initial interest in sports, she was drawn to the game through the influence of her classmates at Dom Domingos College in Edjeba, Warri, Delta State.

Standing at 5’11”, she tells PUNCH Sports Extra of the unexpected path that led to her falling in love with basketball—a journey inspired by courage and persistence and marked by family challenges and eventual triumphs.

“I was 13 when I started playing basketball. I was in JSS1,” Samuel said.

“How I started playing was a funny one because I wasn’t even interested in the game. I saw some of my classmates and friends on the basketball court after school, trying to throw the ball into the net. For some reason, it was fun to them, even though they didn’t know the rules. They invited me to join them, but I refused because I didn’t want to get injured, and I was supposed to be on my way home.”

For a while, Samuel simply observed from the sidelines, intrigued but hesitant. Yet, the pull of the game became irresistible. “I decided to join one day, knowing fully well that I was going to be in trouble for not telling my parents before staying back for practice. But I didn’t want to be left out of the fun.

“Although I didn’t take the game seriously at first, just for the fun of it,” she added.

Unlike many athletes, Samuel didn’t have a background in other sports. “I wasn’t into any sports as of then,” the 18-year-old said.

This lack of experience, combined with her parents’ initial disapproval, made her early basketball days quite challenging.

“My parents were totally against it at first, especially my mom,” the small forward told PUNCH Sports Extra.

“She said I was still little. There were days after school when I would wait behind for practice, but I made sure to time myself so I could get home early to avoid getting caned by my mom. But there was one time I went home late, and I knew I was in serious trouble; I couldn’t manage time because I loved every minute of being on the court.”

Despite the challenges, Samuel’s passion for the sport continued to grow. However, the strict rules at home made it difficult for her to fully commit herself to it. That was when a kind neighbour, known as “Aunty Nurse,” stepped in to help.

“She was my guardian angel, my saviour; she would plead on my behalf whenever I got home late. One day, she told my mom about her cousin who travelled abroad through basketball, and she encouraged my mom to give me a chance to play and see the result of it.

“My parents gave in to the idea but not without a rule that I must come home not later than 5 p.m. and do some house chores before going to the court. If I failed to comply, it would be the final bus stop for me playing basketball. I agreed because I just wanted to play,” she said.

Samuel experienced both highs and lows as she continued to hone her skills on the court. One of her best moments came in 2020, when she travelled with her school team, Divine Speed Basketball Academy, to participate in a competition.

“That was my first time travelling without my parents,” she said.

“We came third in the game, and we were given cash prizes and medals—my very first medal. I was happy because I had something to show my parents when I got back home.”

Another proud moment for Samuel was being selected to represent Nigeria in the 2023 Giants of Africa camp in Rwanda, another first. “It was my first time travelling by air,” she recalled.

Her road to success wasn’t without disappointments, one of which came when she wasn’t selected to play in a game with her team in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, in 2020.

“I wasn’t good enough, and I had seniors on my team who could play really well,” she told PUNCH Sports Extra.

There were times when Samuel even considered quitting basketball, especially when several scholarship opportunities didn’t materialise as she had hoped.

“Yes, I felt like quitting because there were several scholarships that didn’t go through the way I was expecting,” she said.

“I felt like, What’s the essence of playing? But I couldn’t quit because there’s a saying I like that goes, ‘Quitters never win, and winners never quit.’”

Balancing education and sports was also a major challenge for Samuel, but she found a way to combine both with the support of her coach, Amos Gbonwei.

“I spoke to my coach about it, and he came up with the idea of me having a structured reading timetable. That wouldn’t disturb my studies and basketball, and it did help,” she told our correspondent.

Coach Gbonwei, who played in the National Sports Festival representing Edo State and in the Premier League with Delta Force, speaks highly of Samuel’s potential.

“I think she is a great player, and she can only get better. I don’t think she has scratched the surface of her potential. Her ceiling is very high,” Gbonwei told PUNCH Sports Extra.

“If she is focused on basketball and puts in the necessary work, I believe the sky will be her stepping stone.”

He recounted his first encounter with Samuel: “She was very little and tiny in JSS1 at the time. I believe a friend of hers brought her to the basketball court because it’s situated near the premises of the school she attended then. I didn’t know if she would become a very good player, but she is a product of hard work.

“When her peers are at home or watching TV or playing with their phones or doing other frivolous things, she is in court working on her game. At the same time, she was performing well in her academics too. She is one of the best players I have coached, skill- and character-wise.”

Samuel’s dreams are crystal clear as she continues to develop her game. “My dream is to become something great through basketball, help my parents, my team (where I started from), build courts for kids to play on and save them from the streets, and help my coach,” she said with determination.

“I also want to be known as one of the best shooters from Nigeria.”

Her recent call-up to the U-18 D’Tigress team is a milestone she never expected.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was in my mom’s shop one day when a friend told me I was listed for the U-18 D’Tigress team, and that’s when I got a call to come for the tryouts.