Uganda's top sports families exposed

By Usher Komugisha

THE feeling of seeing one’s child reach the pinnacle of a sporting discipline must be a wonderful emotion, but to witness two - or more - children scale the heights of sporting greatness is surely a feeling which few parents will ever have the pleasure of experiencing.

Some will argue over whether ‘nature’ or ‘nurture’ plays a more important role in developing sporting prowess and the many examples of children following their parents into a successful sporting career suggests an element of both.

Richard Williams, father to the famous Williams sisters -Venus and Serena - coached the American tennis players from an early age which actually explains why they met in eight Grand Slam singles finals between the 2001 US Open and the 2009 Wimbledon tournaments.

The New Vision Online celebrates Ugandan families whose outstanding performances are creating and cementing sporting legacies the way Paul Hasule and Geoffrey did in the early 1980s.

The sensational Cranes’ duo dominated the football scene both at club and international levels and it is no doubt that they adopted this form from their father - John Kango who guided Gangama Football Club of Tororo to the finals of the 1976 Kakungulu Cup (now Uganda Cup).

THE BLICK PRODIGIES

Whether it is fathers and sons, siblings or cousins, the Blick Family has sports in their blood. Behind Uganda’s most prominent sports family is Molly Johnson.

Molly is the mother to Arthur Blick Mugerwa Snr, East Africa’s 1971 motorbike champion. His son, Arthur Blick Jnr, has dominated motocross in Uganda for the past decade with nine titles.

In terms of children following in the footsteps of their successful sporting parents, his sons - Alistair Arthur Jnr and Paddy - have been at the helm of the junior competitions in the country and the region recently.

Molly’s other son, Paddy Blick gave birth to now veteran rugger and hockey player as well as the Chairman Uganda Rugby Union (URU), William Blick. William was recently voted into the position of vice president administration at the Uganda Olympic Committee for a four-year term.

Molly’s family sports thread is still being carried on by her grandsons like Norman and Donald Blick (basketball) and Leila Mayanja (hockey) player.

Norman and Donald have played basketball for the same club since the old days at Sky Jammers, Nkumba Marines, Power and recently Miracle Eagles. It will be one of the most anticipated sights for any basketball fan to see Norman who moved to the Kyambogo Warriors this season play against Donald who stayed at Eagle.

MALINGA BROTHERS – BASKETBALL MAESTROS

Henry and Eric are such household names that almost half the current league players have either been coached by the two brothers at secondary school level or the current coaches played alongside these amazing siblings in the last decade.

Travel across the region to cities like Harare, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Goma, Kigali, Nairobi, Dar-es-salaam and Mombasa and bring up a conversation about Ugandan basketball and the first question on anyone’s lips will be: “Are the Malinga brothers still playing for Falcons?”

That they terrorised (still do so) every opponent that came their way in the paint is an understatement but these two brothers have shown commitment in everything they do whether on or off the court. From their high school days at Kako secondary school in Masaka, Henry and Eric always stood out for the best.

Three-time league MVP Henry (2002, 2004 & 2007) who boasts as the most decorated basketball player in the Ugandan league has on several occasions in the past vied for the title with younger brother Eric.

However, Eric was finally voted as last year’s regular season MVP and was also the league’s top scorer for the Kyambogo Warriors. And that he will seal off this successful season of his life, he will get married tomorrow morning (Saturday) to Zambian sweetheart Patricia Kalusokoma.

CRICKET’S ‘HOLY’ TRINITY

Their roots are cricket. Their attitude, approach and style is one from childhood up through the ranks, “we have played cricket” and that is what we do best.

The trinity of wicket keeper Lawrence Ssematimba, bowler Frank Nsubuga and Uganda’s opening right hand batsman Roger Mukasa is the fulcrum of the Uganda national side. That the trio brings energy into the team on the field is undisputed but even off the field, the ever-smiling face of Frank is enough to inspire a frustrated teammate.

Sent to feature for Lenesia cricket club in South Africa for a month in preparation for the ongoing ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers in United Arab Emirates, the tripod had some time to catch up on each other’s lives in a foreign country as well as improve their level of cricket.

Mukasa swept every cricket award last year including cricket player of the year from the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) and the Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) as well as the best player at the inaugural East Africa Elite League.

Most notably Nsubuga was named man-of-the-match when he inspired Uganda against Argentina with 55 runs off 38 balls and taking 4/27 in the Division Three World Cricket League in Darwin, Australia in 2007 among achievements on the national side including making his national team debut at just 16.

Frank Nsubuga

Ssematimba, currently Uganda’s dependable wicketkeeper has played nine ICC Trophy games in national colours and the simplicity that comes with his presence on that pitch is behind his nick name ‘small lion’.

KAWUMA BROTHERS-CHESS

In his book Genius in Chess, J.Levitt tries to relate the relationship between chess talent and high IQ. Levitt explains that spatial intelligence - especially the ability to perceive possibilities for movement - is clearly crucial to chess thinking, as is the capacity to build up a system of knowledge (knowing that) and experience (knowing how).

When you speak to any of the celebrated Kawuma brothers (Stephen, Moses and Patrick), traces of Levitt’s comments echo profoundly. Their conversations are brisk yet spiked with wit and sometimes philosophy.

Until September last year, Uganda had only two FIDE masters - the UK-based Stephen and Moses - before teenager Elijah Emojong joined the elite class as the highest ranked players from the Pearl of Africa.

Stephen shocked Argentina’s Grand Master Diego Valerga at the 39th World Chess Olympiad in Russia two years ago to lead Uganda to victory 3-1 against a star studded Argentine squad that had four Grand Masters.

Against all odds making his debut at the world’s biggest chess showpiece in Russia at the same event in 2010, the youngest of the Kawumas, Patrick who is an undergraduate student at Makerere University registered the highest score-65% (6.5/10 with six wins, one draw and three loses).

Patrick was also the flag bearer for Team Uganda at last year’s 26th Summer Universiade (World University Games) in Shenzhen, China.

WOKORACH BROTHERS-MICHAEL AND PHILLIP

                                                                     Steven Kawuma

Versatile, quick off the mark with good top speed and powerful in contact with the skill to evade a tackle, good ball handling skills both passing and receiving copiously describes Uganda Rugby Cranes’ starting second center-Michael Wokorach.

Michael’s brilliance on the field has seen him shine both for the Heathens side as well as the national side both at 15s and 7s. Michael led Team Uganda to their debut appearance at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India. Michael has represented Uganda the annual Elgon, Victoria, CAR as well as several 7s tournaments on the continent for the past five years.

In the footsteps of his brothers, Phillip “Ojus”, 18, is the new high school sensation featuring for Hana Mixed School.

THE ENABUS-BASKETBALL

Whether you like it or not, to be an Enabu comes with assignments which include picking up (playing for fun) at the Knight Riders court in Entebbe in the evenings as well as coming all the way to Kampala for your team’s training or to support a sibling which is rather every week.

The older brothers-Dennis and Maurice introduced the game to the family in the late 1990s while playing for their schools and their sensational style must have caught the eyes of the little ones. They chose to settle in Canada.

With Mark falling into the ranks really encouraged Ivan to make it more of a spectacular ball handling skills demonstration whenever he featured for Kabojja International School in those blue jerseys. Kabojja practically carried every schools tournament title in the early 2000s into

Moses Kawuma

their trophy cabin courtesy of this family.

Every Enabu went to Kabojja for their high school education - Ivan, Jimmy, Emmanuel and their only sister Evelyn.

And every one of them has a distinct basketball attribute.