Soaring high

A 16-yearold Ugandan girl, Keturah Balabyekkubo, is a rising star on the tough and competitive Canadian high school basketball and soccer circuit. Richard Wetaya brings you her inspiring story

Give her basketball or soccer any day. Keturah Balabyekkubo is a wonder to those who know her. Last year, the bubbly 10th grader (equivalent to Uganda's Senior Four), led her Jean Vanier Lynx High School basketball team in Welland, Ontario, Canada to three unprecedented basketball titles. It was unprecedented in the sense that her school had never won those many titles.

Balabyekkubo is born to a Ugandan single mother — Fiona Balabyekkubo. Her family lives in Canada, but often visit close relatives in Uganda. While here, Balabyekkubo gets time to play and share her basketball and soccer skills with children at her uncle's soccer academy in Makindye. In the three victories that Jean Vanier Lynx High School pulled off, Balabyekkubo played a leading role and she was duly rewarded with MVP (Most Valuable Player) or best player honours at the Tribune Girls Basketball Tournament that was also held in Welland.

Numerous sports pundits in Ontario wrote rave reviews about Balabyekkubo's performances, hailing the young Ugandan girl's relentless tenacity on the court, her fluid shooting touch, and strong fi nishing at the hoop (equivalent of a goal in football). The fi rst title Balabyekkubo's team won was the Standard Girls Basketball tournament title in St Catharine's, Ontario in October, last year. Jean Vanier Lynx won the tournament after beating the defending champions, Eden Flyers, also from Ontario in the final 42-28. Balabyekkubo fi nished the game with eight points, six rebounds and three steals. She averaged six points per game in the tournament and showed, once and for all, why she is a reliable offensive and defensive player for the Lynx team. After that tournament, Balabyekkubo was invited to the Under-15 Ontario girls basketball team. The Ontario under 15 girls were by then the defending under 15 Canadian girls' national champions. The Lynx High School basketball team followed up their victory in the Standard Girls Basketball tournament with triumph, a fortnight later, in the fi nals of the four-day 16-team Tribune Girls Basketball Tournament on their home basketball court. In the fi nal, Jean Vanier Lynx dethroned the reigning champions, Notre Dame, 41-39. Before the fi nals, many bookmakers had reckoned that Notre Dame would retain their title. Balabyekkubo, who plays in the guard position, helped her team defy the odds to beat the tournament favourites.

She was named the tournament's MVP at the close of the tournament. She scored nine points. Her school improved their record in the league and playoff play to 16-0 and 27-0 overall, after the tribune tournament. Her school's basketball Trifecta was completed with victory, a week later, in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) championships fi nal, where they beat the host team O'Gorman 51-45. Balabyekkubo again proved just how invaluable she is for her team by scoring a team high 15 points.

Matteya Wendling, a school mate, describes Balabyekkubo as Jean Vanier Lynx High School's trump card. "She is a cracking player. The team has benefi ted a lot from her skills and I reckon a great future ahead for her playing career," Wendling opines. Balabyekkubo is, however, not a dab hand at basketball only. Last year as well, she was part of the 2016 Jean Vanier High School soccer side that went undefeated at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Girls "A" Soccer Championships in North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Balabyekkubo scored one goal as Jean Vanier Lynx defeated the defending champions Glengarry 2-1 in the semi fi nals. They later won gold at the tournament after defeating Toronto's De La Salle College 2-1 in the fi nal. Balabyekkubo scored one goal.

BALABYEKKUBO IN THE FLESH

She is as sparky as any other 16-year-old. She has a good natured aura and is full of confi dence. From the way she talks, you can tell she is a gifted speaker. These attributes have endeared her to many people, not only in Canada, but also in Uganda, for good measure. Cockiness, boastfulness and swag are traits usually associated with basketball players, but not Balabyekkubo. "Cockiness is not a part of my character.

My attitude on and off the court is the same. My uncle (Moses Balabyekkubo — also her personal trainer) always bugs me about not having enough basketball "swag". I just like to play the game and focus, I do not like being cocky, because I think it just clouds my judgment. I like to joke a lot off the court. That is about it," she explains.

FAMILY

Balabyekkubo's mother, Fiona, is a daughter to the late renowned 1990s Ugandan evangelist, Pastor Deo Balabyekkubo. "Though my father is not part of my life, there are good people who have more than fi lled that void.

My mother, grandmother and uncle are the people who motivate me to play whatever sport I want or do anything I want in life as long as it has a purpose. No one ever pushed me to choose a sport, I chose basketball and they have supported me all through," Balabyekkubo says.

BASKETBALL OVER FOOTBALL

"I love both sports, but over time, I have fallen more in love with basketball," she says. Though Balabyekkubo has Canadian citizenship, she is open to the option of playing for Uganda at a later stage. The family is currently trying to get her a Ugandan passport. "I have not truly made it far or accomplished the dreams and goals I want, but I will decide in the future about that," Balabyekkubo says.

Balabyekkubo's uncle, Silas Balabyekkubo, also known as Babaluku, is a Ugandan hip hop pioneer, artiste and activist. He runs a soccer academy and sports camp in Makindye, known as We Got SkillZ Soccer Academy which trains young people in soccer skills. Balabyekkubo was in Uganda last year to support her uncle's initiatives. "Back in Canada with my team, we always do fundraising and collect equipment for my uncle's soccer academy back in Kampala.

I came as an ambassador and represented the many people that had donated various items such as balls and jerseys to my uncle's soccer academy. I participated in many other activities, such as playing with the kids and giving them pep talk," Balabyekkubo says

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT BALABYEKKUBO 

Peter Sserumaga — Coach at Makindye soccer academy centre for excellence Balabyekkubo fi rst came to the soccer academy when she was nine and she brought with her the much-needed uniforms and soccer cleats. The academy had none then. That gesture was momentous for the academy and up to now, the academy still uses the beautiful uniforms and cleats in trainings and competitions. Balabyekkubo has had a great impact on the academy and on the children in the academy.

As a player, she took a great time to train with the academy boy's team of under 10 and also featured in some organised matches such as "We Got Skillz" soccer tournament. Her time in the academy opened our eyes to start focusing on training girls' football. It is because of her that the Makindye soccer academy has a girls' football team.

All the young boys who trained with little Balabyekkubo are playing in the 4th division league here in Uganda. As a coach, it was a great honour and experience to train with Balabyekkubo at the academy  talk," Balabyekkubo says.

TEAMS SHE HAS PLAYED FOR

"I started playing house league first (instructional basketball programmes for boys and girls aged fi ve to 18 in both the US and Canada). In my second year of house league, I was introduced to travel basketball. I was nine years old then and was playing for the Niagara Falls Red Raiders in Ontario.

After three years with the Niagara Falls Red Raiders, I started playing Juel prep (Canada's fi rst and longest running provincial women's basketball League). I spent one year on Niagara Juel Prep and during the summer after that season, I had the amazing opportunity to play basketball at the provincial level for Team Ontario. Now I am going to play for Lincoln Basketball Preparatory Academy starting this month (January 2017)," Balabyekkubo says

WINNING THE BEST PLAYER AWARD

"It was the second time Jean Vanier Lynx High School was winning the Tribune tournament and it was by any measure, a momentous feat. Jean Vanier Lynx became the fi rst single "A" team (single sex school) to beat a "AAA" team (mixed school) and the experience was amazing. Winning the MVP honours was a huge accomplishment for me because that tournament is taken seriously in Niagara, Canada," she reveals.

OTHER AWARDS

Last year as well, Balabyekkubo won the Aurel Gervais Memorial Rising Star Award for Grade 9 girls at Jean Vanier Lynx. The school presents the awards to outstanding athletes. She was honoured for excelling in sports in her fi rst year of high school at Jean Vanier.

JEAN VANIER LYNX HIGH SCHOOL

Jean Vanier is a Catholic high school founded in 1992. It is located in Welland, Ontario, Canada. The school is named after Jean Vanier — a Canadian humanist, philosopher, theologian and writer.

Balabyekkubo with some of her teammates after the Tribune Tournament

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT BALABYEKKUBO

Peter Sserumaga — Coach at Makindye soccer academy centre for excellence Balabyekkubo fi rst came to the soccer academy when she was nine and she brought with her the much-needed uniforms and soccer cleats. The academy had none then. That gesture was momentous for the academy and up to now, the academy still uses the beautiful uniforms and cleats in trainings and competitions. Balabyekkubo has had a great impact on the academy and on the children in the academy.

As a player, she took a great time to train with the academy boy's team of under 10 and also featured in some organised matches such as "We Got Skillz" soccer tournament. Her time in the academy opened our eyes to start focusing on training girls' football. It is because of her that the Makindye soccer academy has a girls' football team. All the young boys who trained with little Balabyekkubo are playing in the 4th division league here in Uganda. As a coach, it was a great honour and experience to train with Balabyekkubo at the academy.