South Sudan’s basketball supporters and enthusiasts have embraced their men’s team since they became the first African country to qualify for the World Cup at their first attempt and made history by making it to this year’s tournament.
The majority of the national basketball team’s players come from the diaspora. To change the future of the sport in the youngest country in East Africa, South Sudan has begun to train local youth to increase the home’s recruiting. “To be the best player is my goal, “One day, I hope to play like Luol Deng and inspire South Sudan with my talent”, a 19-year-old student at the Luol Deng Academy named Muor Kuol Muor said.
A properly furnished court is necessary for Samuel Manyiel Bol, 25, who plays for the National Engineer Basketball team in Juba.
“We also need a practice court since South Sudan has a lot of good players. Basketball is a game of timing; one player may play for three to four years before another player emerges at the same time. Hence, we ask to have a court here “Bol said.
“Basketball and this have a special place in our hearts. When you see our boys, you’ll notice a difference. They played like people in America and Europe because we enjoy basketball as a way of life, not in the way that other people do.” Basketball is our future, and Luol Deng has changed the nature of government to watch what transpires in the sport”. Said Bushara Rajab Rizik, a secretary for coaches in Juba’s capital of South Sudan.