dyton mupawaenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
COLLEAGUES, former rivals, friends, and some of his by-products described Ngoni Mukukula as the backbone of Zimbabwean basketball, with some even noting that his passing would have a ripple effect and be felt for years to come.
Mukukula, who died last weekend after complaining of severe pains, was buried at Glen Forest Memorial Park yesterday.
Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) director-general Sebastian Garikai, former Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) chief executive Stephen Mudawarima, administrators Titus Zvomuya and David Mutambara, Harare Basketball Association (HBA) and Basketball Union of Zimbabwe officials were among scores of mourners in attendance.
In fact, Mukukula’s death and burial united Zimbabwean basketball’s past and present, with all speaking with one unified voice of the man’s greatness.
“It is truly a sad day indeed,” said Garikai.
“Ngoni has left a huge gap in sports development, and this is not just confined to basketball.
“This was a man who wrote the blueprint as it pertains to developing and spreading sport and nurturing talent.
“Through his works with the “Hoops 4 Hope” programme, he spread awareness, expertise, and knowledge of basketball, with his area of interest being high-density suburbs and, in some cases, rural areas.
“The sport is stronger because of the works he did, as the talent we have today is either directly influenced and coached or a by-product of that programme.
“In the time since, more and more sporting codes have seen the light and followed suit,” said the DG.
Garikai’s sentiments were echoed by Zvomuya, who had worked closely with Mukukula during his time as a sports director at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
“This is not just a basketball loss, but for me, and many of us here, it is a loss to the sporting fraternity in Zimbabwe,” said Zvomuya.
“As much as he was very much into basketball, the impact that all his programme had on many other sporting codes was tremendous.
“One only needs to look at the turnout to see how big a sporting figure Ngoni (Mukukula) was; we representatives from many sporting codes, Zimbabwe basketball’s past and present, and even the deputy minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture (Emily Jesaya) passed through and spoke at the service.
“I knew Ngoni when he was still very young and still playing basketball; even then, the impact he had on young people was something to marvel at.
“He could relate with them; he was still very young, and the student just fell in love with him and fell in love with basketball.
“When we decided to then start the UZ Stars project, which was our developmental team, he was one of the people we consulted.
“His input was very useful,” he said.
The highest praise was reserved for David Mutambara, who is the former SRC chairperson and former Africa Regional Director of the Special Olympics.
“Ngoni was an incredible human being, first and foremost,” he said.
“In life, we tend to take certain things for granted and only appreciate them once they are gone. That is the case with Ngoni Mukukula, who we just buried here.
“He was an exceptional coach, and he used the skills he acquired during his days on the bench to motivate and em-power his community. “We should use the work he did and the legacy he leaves behind to inspire the next generation.
“Let his legacy be a motivator and the man be a role model for those that will carry the torch forward as it pertains to developing basketball and sport as a whole,” he said.
