Let's go UG, Let's go! Image Source: FUBA
Following the social media popularity of the Women's National Basketball Team, the Gazelles, about their spectacular performance in Kigali at the FIBA AfroBasketball games, a so-called media influencer was impressed. He could not help but appreciate the people behind sourcing the fans. Quoting, "The Ugandan basketball influencing team is really doing an amazing job. The gig plug went for quality, not vibes and b*ms. I have paid more attention to their content because it is coming from people in a position of authority, people I have always seen talk about basketball."
This tweet was met with a lot of backlash from the fans reminding the tweep that backing the National team is not anyone's source of income but rather a patriotic act for the people that continue to leave everything on the floor for the country.
In my high school days, our Regional games for National Qualifications were in Mukono. There was this distaste for one to play at and more so against Seeta High School Green Campus. The school had a solid fan base that a word could barely be heard between two people on the court. They would source all the empty bottles from the school and gather all jerrycans they could find. There was one particular teacher that would be amalgamated with the students. He would sometimes carry a drum and a whistle. Games against Seeta Green Campus were not scary because it was a better team, but the fact that fans did the 6th player job well. After all this screaming, clapping, bottle scrapping, jerrycan banging, and drumming, the rewards were two; victory for the school and the ultimatum, a school dance commonly called danke. My school was not bad at sourcing fans either, and interestingly, they would pay a fee to be on the cheerleaders' bus as low as 15000 UGX to Seeta Highschool, and the price would double if the games were at Namilyango. They would come and still make the loudest noise they could and devise means such as scrapping bottles against each other or creating chants.
The HERSTORY makers. Image source: FUBA
The FIBA Afrobasketball games started on the 28th of July, and the Ugandan basketball fraternity was overjoyed about the games, given that the last time Uganda ever played at this level was in 2015. Furthermore, the Afrobasketball qualifiers earlier this year at the Lugogo MTN Arena, where the Gazelles showed a spirited heart for the game, was a good rally for fans.
Each morning during this tournament, FIBA Afrobasketball games, I would wake up rushing to look for the link for the day's games and check updates on Twitter, now X. My whole For You Page was filled with Basketball content about the games. Despite starting off with a loss in the opening game for Uganda, the win against Senegal brought unexplainable joy to the fans online and those that traveled to Rwanda. In all this, the fan base for the Gazelles grew tremendously, and a few people were ready to make impromptu trips to Kigali. It was no surprise seeing Eddy Kenzo performing in a Gazelles jersey in Japan as he was recently seen at an Oilers game awarding the Player of the Game, Tony Drileba. Similarly, Dennis Onyango, the beloved son of Uganda, posted a picture of himself in the Gazelles jersey wishing the ladies all the best at the games. Yunus Ssentamu of Vipers Soccer Club also posted a video in the National jersey wishing the ladies the best at the tournament. Media personalities, Beewol, Bakshi, and Gava Charles, among others, had over 15 daily posts about the Gazelles. Basketball legends like Ben Komakech were also at the front of using their social media platform to show support for the ladies. Great pictures from the FUBA media team, such as the picture of Akullo Melissa dancing with the mother after the victory against Senegal, went viral both on X and Facebook.
Ugandans in South Africa were also all hands down for the She Cranes. Image source: Uganda Netball Federation
With all this support coming in, it was inevitable for an ordinary Ugandan to think the fans were under a paid gig. More so, it was a surprise that a women's team managed to attract this much media attention that is usually accorded to men's teams. It's not questionable that all this fan engagement has contributed to the growth of the women's game, and we expect to see more people engaging with women's sports. Strides like these show a positive trend in the growth of women's basketball and sports in general. In the comment sections, several people were inquiring how they could watch the games, which showed at least people were intrigued by the Gazelles, and if such an audience follows up, it will translate into the growth of the sport in the country. The X media account of the Gazelles, saw an increase of followers from 1.6k to 5k in a span of 5 days.
The U18 Women's National Soccer Team in Tanzania. Image source: FUFA
Like the Seeta fans, the fans who traveled to Rwanda did it at their own cost for the country's pride. These fans are the essential noise makers that the sports industry needs to be in the faces of the people that can impact the sector. With their noise, two days into the tournament, bodies like UNRA came forward to also post about the Gazelles, and "politicians" jumped on the wagon as well. If only their praises could translate into something tangible capable of developing the entire sports industry in the country rather than one-time offs drawn from the excitement of sports diehards. It is not just the Gazelles that were out on National Sports duty. The Netball She Cranes are in South Africa, posting impressive scores; the Bombers are in Zimbabwe, the U18 Soccer team women was in Tanzania, and the FISU University games in Chengdu, have a significant number of students from across Ugandan Universities. It has been a sporty end for July and the start of August. How much more is needed to present to our leaders to show them we are a sporting Nation? If Rwanda could disclose how much it makes annually from having that Arena, Ugandans would go to the streets and demand an arena to be constructed there and then. Just imagine the different groups of people that have attained employment from the countries hosting the games and the overall economic impact on local businesses.
It's time we reflected on Jeremiah 5:12 for the goodness of the sports industry in Uganda.
What the 7th position means to us. Image Source: FUBA
The Gazelles have bowed out of the tournament in the 7th position, which is further cause for joy and pride for Uganda. The team did not wither or break at the hands of the best-ranked teams on the continent. It came out and showed out. It made HERSTORY! We owe thanks and gratitude to the Gazelles team and its leaders for giving us this immense joy and happiness. And to the fans, we should probably form a National Fans Club and continue to rally behind every sports team in the country. Thank you, Beewol and your team, for making that noise at the Arena. You made the opponent team supporters ask for water. All the best to the sports teams still representing the Nation.
Let's Go, UG, Let's Go! Support Women's Sports.
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