He will tell you he had been in the sport long before it became so popular in these parts. Today, the game if basketball has become a crowd puller as it continues to to unearth talents that have gone on to become world beaters.
The country's basketball continues to grow to the extent to the extent that it now compares favourably with some of the powerhouses of the sport on the continent, as well as on the global stage.
Nigerian basketball stars are now regular faces in the European and American leagues, while their impact have also been felt in the contributions they make, playing for the country.
The men and female national teams known as the D'Tigers and D'Tigresses respectively, have in the the last few years broken the cycle of dominance of the usual strongholds of Cote D'Ivoire, Egypt, and Angola winning back to back championships on the continent while also extending such exploits to the world stage where they have continued to shine.
But these successes may never have been achieved had men like Oritsegbemi Fregene not dedicated their lives to the pursuit of excellence in the sport.
Originally a native of Warri, Delta State, Fregene grew up in Benin City, the capital of the old Midwest State, later Bendel State.
He fell in love with basketball right from his school days and has retained his passion for the sport.
He did achieve modest successes as a player, but it is in coaching he has appeared to make better impact, stamping his imprimatur on the sport by leaving a lasting legacy.
Since the day he was employed as a coach in the then Midwest Sports Council -- Bendel State Sports Council -- in 1972, Fregene has never looked back.
He recalls how the Midwest (later Bendel State) went on to rule the waves, winning back to back titles in successive National Sports Festivals in 1973, 1975,1977, 1979 and 1981.
"Our state's basketball teams were so good that they won five straight editions of the Sports Festivals right from it's inaugural edition in 1973 up to 1981," Coach Fregene recalls.
Those early successes formed the foundation upon which he would later build more victories. Coach Fregene achieved a career high milestone when he led the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to win the gold in the basketball event of the 1984 edition of the NUGA Games.
He had followed it up with successive gold medals for his team at two editions of the School of Nursing Games Basketball Championships in Benin and Ilorin between 2003 and 2005.
In 2008, he tinkered the Luminary Mixed Secondary School Boys to Durban, South Africa for a continental schools basketball championship and came back victorious.
"I still remember that South African trip with nostalgia," he says.
"Competing against strong basketball teams from over Africa was not easy. But hardwork, focus and God's grace helped us to achieve victory at the end," he adds.
Of course, the achievement would serve as motivation for further exploits as other schools scrambled for his services.
Since his passion for grassroots development of the sport seemed to override all other considerations, Coach Fregene would soon hop on the train of schools that showed a commitment to build the game from the cradle.
Winning four straight editions of the Milo Basketball Championships was the result of such involvements.
He looks back at those heady days with utmost satisfaction, especially when he remembers the many young talents who have now taken to the sport.
"My fulfilment comes from knowing that I played a role in grooming some of today's basketball stars who have gone on to do themselves and the country proud. I have no regrets," he says.
With age gradually slowing him down, he is concerned about the future of the sport. He wants all stakeholders to eschew divisive tendencies and close ranks ft the common good.
He is by happy about the lingering crisis in the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) where the battle for legitimacy between two factions have raged for years.
"I want all stakeholders and interest groups fighting for the soul of basketball in the country to sheathe their swords and come together so that the enabling environment can be created for the sport to thrive in Nigeria," he says.
He also wants basketballers to constantly build themselves in order to remain relevant even after they end their playing careers.
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