Semi Ojeleye shares his experience from the catastrophic floods that hit Valencia, as well as his impressions from the team's strong start to the season. The Nigerian forward explains his decision to ignore EuroLeague offers last summer and reveals that he might soon make his international debut.
Valencia Basket was the first professional sports team to resume playing after the tragedy caused by the DANA on October 29. The squad traveled to Thessaloniki to face Aris in their EuroCup Round 6 game last Wednesday after having their two previous commitments suspended.
Even though Valencia were held to only 63 points on low shooting percentages (22/69 - 31.8%), they still managed to claim their sixth win in as many games in the competition. However, both clubs shared the same sentiments when it came to supporting the hundreds of people affected by the devastating floods.
Semi Ojeleye, who led his team in both scoring and rebounding (13+12), reaffirmed the message that sport takes a back seat during these difficult times.
"The city of Valencia right now is hurting," the forward said in his post-game statements. "Basketball is just a small part of life. Our hearts and our minds are always with the people that have lost so much. We just want to continue to think about them, to draw attention to them, and to help them heal in any way we can."
Valencia arrived in Greece while US citizens were casting their votes to elect their new president. Ojeleye didn't stay up all night following the outcome. He had dinner with the rest of the team, talked to his family, and went to sleep. He found out about the result before breakfast.
"It's democracy. The beauty of the process is that people get to decide what they want. From there, we're going into the next four years and try to improve the nation," he told BasketNews over the phone a few minutes before Valencia took the court for their only practice session ahead of the game against Aris.
"Whoever is in office, the goal is to improve the country. We have a lot of things to improve in the US right now. It's the time to be thankful for what's gone well and try to fix some things," he commented.
Semi Ojeleye
| Team: |
Valencia Basket |
| Position: | PF |
| Age: | 29 |
| Height: | 201 cm |
| Weight: | 107 kg |
| Birth place: | Kansas, United States of America |
Ojeleye, 29, grew up in the Midwestern United States (Overland Park, Kansas), where tornadoes would occasionally destroy parts of the city where he lived.
"Those kind of things happen," he observed. "But every time they happen, it's a tragedy, it's a disaster. And it doesn't get any easier, whether it's in a town close to you or far away. Lives are lost, and it's something that you hate to see happening."
Luckily, the majority of Valencia players don't live in the affected areas. Ojeleye, for instance, is staying near the Arts and Sciences complex, located on the banks of the Turia River, which was diverted in the 1980s due to a great flood that hit the city in 1957.
Still, he and his teammates have seen some disturbing images of the latest calamity and of people trying to save their lives and belongings.
"Our lives can't be as affected as those who live in the Southwest of Valencia," he admitted.
"There's nothing like living there, and I think the people there would say that their life has changed. We're just trying to support in the small ways that we can. The most important thing is the people who have lost their homes and, unfortunately, their lives," he lamented.
Ojeleye said the situation in Valencia
Aris Midea Thessaloniki
Valencia Basket
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana