Wooterafrica Athletes*
Tackling Stereotypes: Yellow Jackets Point Guard Player Defies Expectations
Eliuyanjo Francis Ndelwa draws power and strength from a sport not known much for many, to be played especially by people with his his height .
Picture a basketball player. Most people wouldn’t immediately envision he could conquer the sport of basketball. Eliuyanjo Francis Ndelwa is trying to change that. The 20-year-old Yellow Jacket point guard from Vijana Basketball Club is here to charge down lazy assumptions and crash-tackle everyday expectations. From early, all underestimations only fuel Eliuyanjo’s mission to prove to the basketball sport that people of all sizes can find their place in the sport.
We met Eliuyanjo after the 3rd season Wooterafrica Jr tournament ends. As we interviewing Him, he shared with us about how baskeball sport and the tournament has helped him better understand his role in the game, community and of who he is for those who watching him play.
Have you always been into basketball?
I happen to love basketball back in the day when i started. Even though the vast majority of my friends were playing in school where i came, when I wanted to train many counted me less to fit in because they thought basketball was only for taller people and I was still very short back then as i still am. I only picked up the rock when I turned since i came to love it, and I’ve never been able to let it go.
The most common reaction I used to get from people was; shock — not necessarily negative shock, more like, “Oh I barely knew that people of his physical appearance couldn’t fit in to play basketball, much less for his height.”
How do people react when they find out you play basketball?
I’m fortunate enough to have team that supports me. But it was different when I started to train for this game. I know many who counted me less to be who i am in my team. I did go through struggles early days because many perceived my physical appearance as weakness and they would tell me it’s a sport for taller guys not me assuming my body wasn’t or isn’t built for the game of basketball
They thought I’m going to get broken in half on the pitch. But when you believe in yourself and have people, couches and teammates that believes and supports you became different. That feeling has given me positive vibration each time when i touch the ball with my teammates.
What position do you play?
I’m more of an offensive player. Mid-range, three-pointers, drive, I like to do everything. I’m not too much of a defensive player but i do when necessary. On the court, it’s all business.
My main position is point guard. In basketball, there are 5 players per team while they play: big men and guard i.e point guard and shooting guards. Point guards are those mostly sprint the most, that dribble the ball, dodge other players, pass the ball; and big men are more physical, lots of crashing into other players in D circle to score. My position is kind of like the connection between both parts of the team.
i think my couches and team must have seen something in my drive and my motivation. As you start playing, you realize that no body type is an impediment in and of itself. Nearly everyone can fit into some position in this sport and if they train strategically and hard enough they became unstoppable despite their sizes and body shapes.
And that’s the reason they trust me to lead the team and that changes everything for me. It inspires me to know that i matter and fuels me became good enough to train hard enough, not let down myself and the team for their belief in me.
Tell us about the Wooterafrica Jr basketball tournament that Wooterafrica Org hosts every year.
Shout out to Hamid S Ahmad, C.E.O of Wooterafrica for continuing organizing the best Junior tournament in our country. The tournament is a source of pride for any youth hooper from our country and its cities. The level is incredible, from custom outfits for couches, players, refs and people involved, court, the atmosphere makes us feels like NBA players and everybody who happen to see them knows it.
I once met the organizer of the tournament in back to school tournament hosted by Mchenga Basketball Academy which they did sponsor it with his organization. It made me realize who he is, he happens to be a cool guy, he believes in youth empowerment and you will always find him out there acting to push the game further in so many different occasions.
He have our hopes as youths who we looks up to many like him who stand firm to inspire and motivate us. So many youths got a chance to showcase their talents.
Talking about myself, through Wooterafrica Jr tournament, i had chance to compete with other youths similar to my age. It helped me inspire and also be inspired too. It made me seeing myself as physically fit, capable and confident in setting other types of goals in my life. I’ve always been this way as I do appear to be, and suddenly, to be able to say, “I can tackle anyone, and no one can tackle me,” or, also, “I can take on anything, and nothing can bring me down,” is so exciting and rewarding.
Through his inspirations made think different. I have always think, “I can get a thousand times better, but that’s worthless if it doesn’t help my team or my being don’t help people around me and the community in general.” And I’ve learned to apply his mentality to my life in general. I want to be a good person so that I can contribute to my country and the world, not just to pat myself on the back for being a good person. In basketball, if you don’t have a positive mentality in and off the court, you won’t accomplish anything.