By JO HARRISON
LOCAL basketball player Makuach Maluach is on the radar of top talent scouts after a strong performance for NSW Country in the U16 National Championships held in Adelaide earlier this month where his team won gold.
Makuach was impressive throughout the week-long tournament and was instrumental in the gold medal game where NSW Country defeated NSW Metro 65-61. The six-day competition included 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams from across Australian and two from New Zealand.
“The NSW Country team were undefeated in the competition with their best game against Victoria Metro who were the team to beat having won the competition for the last two years,” Judy Monaghan from Armidale Basketball Association said.
“They beat Victoria Metro 41-31 and Makuach described it as his best game ever scoring 19 of the 41 points.”
In the grand final they played against NSW Metro and found themselves in a hole down 41 to 23 at half-time. In the third quarter they surged back and played intense basketball, winning by four points in extra time.
“Makuach came away with an average of 13.4 points per game and was outstanding in the rebounds,” Judy said.
“While he didn’t win it all over the competition he was up there in the top group of players.”
The imposing 14-year-old towers above his team-mates and is a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court, however Makuach is not dreaming of playing for Australia at the Olympics – his dreams are to one day become a doctor and hopes his love of basketball will help him achieve his goal.
Makuach and his family moved to Armidale about six years ago as Sudanese refugees. He was introduced to mini basketball along with his two brothers very early on and took to the sport instantly.
“They had never played competition basketball before and took to it like ducks to water,” Judy said.
“It was very clear to all of us at the association that we had come across some naturally talented basketballers. With their height they progressed very rapidly but their determination to improve their own skills was just phenomenal.”
This year Makuach turns 15 and was invited earlier in the year to attend trials for the NSW state U16 side in Wollongong. This involved a gruelling four-day camp which he didn’t much like as it was so intense! He was later invited to go to the Australian Junior Championships in Albury where his team won gold. Following this he was selected in the NSW Country U16 side that won gold in Adelaide.
Makuach is now in the sights of NSW Basketball and Basketball Australia.
“Now they have seen him and can recognise the talent it is a case of managing his basketball career however Makuach will be the first to say that his education comes first,” Judy said.
“But his basketball can get him places that he wouldn’t normally be able to get.”
