When my husband Manute Bol first entered the N.B.A., basketball was not played by many South Sudanese. That has changed. It is now one of the most popular sports in our homeland and among those in the diaspora. Several South Sudanese, including Manute and my son Bol Manute Bol, now play professionally in America and Europe. As athletes and sportspeople, they do all of us proud.
Recently, many of those fine athletes and coaches were brought together by Luol Deng to represent our homeland at the Olympics. What a wonderful team the Bright Stars are. They played their hearts out just as Manute always gave his best.
That’s the thing about athletics. They often bring out the very best in people. They teach the values of teamwork, practice, treating one’s body with respect, and, most notably, sportsmanship and fairness.
For many young people, the basketball court is where they can come alive, find themselves, and develop the goal orientation that makes them achievers and leaders. My son Bol Manute Bol indeed found his identity on the court. If Manute were still with us, he would be as proud of our son as I am. I also know that he would be cheering for the Bright Stars right along with me and all our people.
We should all be grateful to Luol Deng, to the players, to the coaches, and the South Sudanese government for giving us something to cheer about. More than that, we should use this opportunity to remind our children that ours is a proud country and to encourage them to get onto the court, the pitch, the field, or wherever they find challenge and joy.
In four years, there will be another Olympic Games. Hopefully, South Sudan will have a larger contingent in Los Angeles than we had in Paris. Hopefully, we will have representation in more events. Hopefully, our athletes will win medals, especially our excellent basketball players. But even more importantly, let us hope that all .
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