By Hedwig Arinaitwe
Celebrated tennis sensation Serena Williams once said“the success of every woman should be the inspiration of another”. A candid article announcing her retirement in the Vogue Magazine of August 9, 2022, vividly illustrates this statement and shows why the success of women like Serena and other female athletes should be an inspiration.
In the article, Serena opened up about how she never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. “If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family,” she wrote, adding that a lot of people didn’t realize that she was two months pregnant when she won the Australian Open in 2017.
Back home in Uganda, the story of Flirsh Flavia Oketcho, whose basketball career was almost written off by commentators after she had a baby, resonates with the experience of Serena who candidly narrated the challenges of doing sports as a woman: “The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams. I had my chances after coming back from giving birth. I went from a C-section to a second pulmonary embolism to a grand slam final. I played while breastfeeding. I played through postpartum depression.”
This is not just the story of Serena or Oketcho. It is the story of Alysia Montaño and other female athletes who feel under pressure when it comes to having children during their sporting careers because sponsors, like Montano once narrated, told her “to dream crazier until she wanted a baby”. It’s like being penalized for getting pregnant. Many of them even lose sponsorships.
It is not surprising, therefore, that in her article, Serena said “I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out”.
The challenges and sacrifices are immense. That is why athletes like Oketcho deserve to be celebrated for inspiring others through their resilience, hard work and dedication.
Oketcho’s journey
Flavia Oketcho is the personification of the cliché that age is just a number. At 37, she is a mother who is still setting records on the court. She is the captain of the National Women’s Basketball team, Uganda Gazelles, a 12–time National Basketball League champion, Most Valuable Player (MVP) East Africa Club Championship (2004) and the longest-serving member of the team. Oketcho has played for JKL Lady Dolphins, KCC Leopards, UCU, and the national team, Gazelles.
Like many sportswomen across the world, Oketcho was told her basketball career was over after she had a child. Instead of getting discouraged, she decided to disprove the naysayers by bouncing back.
“[What limits many women in sport is if you believe it when people say you can’t do it]. However important it is for us to play to prove others wrong, it is much more important to prove ourselves right,” she said in an interview.
Oketcho gave birth to her beautiful daughter, Chantelle, in 2010 while in the United Kingdom and in 2011, she returned and re-joined the National Basketball League (NBL), playing for KCCA Leopards.
Who is Flavia Oketcho?
Oketcho was born in 1986 in Tororo and raised in Kampala where she attended some of the best schools at the time, including Nakasero Primary School and Kitante Primary School. She completed her Primary Leaving Examinations in 1998.
By the time she was in Senior Three at Kitante Hill Secondary School, Oketcho had started playing basketball, which earned her a bursary. She says she draws inspiration from her late cousin, Wilbrod Ox Oketcho, who was an outstanding player in the late 2000s.
Oketcho completed her Advanced Level Exams at Najja High School in 2007 and proceeded to study Mass Communication at Uganda Christian University (UCU) on a basketball bursary. At UCU, she founded the basketball team as a requirement for the bursary. She encouraged students to join and they went on to win many accolades.
Motherhood
Oketcho speaks fondly about her motherhood experience, describing it as one of the best jobs she has had to do. “Being a mom is one of those jobs I’m most proud of, however many people may want to write you off. They will say all sorts of things like you have brought a child into this world and you’re finished. But that should be a driver because as women we are capable of anything; it’s just a God-given gift.”
Her resilience and passion for the game is seen in her natural flow on the court, and the many victories she has led her team to attain and secure for Uganda.
Achievements
When asked what her biggest achievement is, Oketcho told The Other Voice that lasting in the game this long delights her. “[Through my longevity in the game, I have managed to achieve everything that comes with persistence,’’ she said.
At 37, Oketcho is the longest serving member of the Gazelles, a backbone of Uganda Women’s Basketball and a leading force inspiring the younger generations. With 12 National Basketball League titles to her name, Oketcho is evidently a national treasure.
Unlike her colleagues from the 2015 team, Oketcho is the only one that made it to the Fiba Women’s Afrobasket 2023, becoming the first Gazelle to return to the prestigious competition. Oketcho and her team made history after securing their first quarter final berth at BK Arena, beating DRC 78-62.
What makes her special?
Her colleagues describe her as a natural leader and a multi-talented player. According to Nick Atuhereza, the Gazelles assistant coach, Oketcho is indeed a force to be reckoned with.
“She has a way of blending in with big groups both local and international. The players that have come in young and old have not been to play to her level, so it is difficult for them not to respect or look up to her. She is the perfect fit for captain,” he remarked.
Precious Yaweh, a young passionate basketball player, who has had a chance to be mentored by Oketcho, applauds her for her dominant record in the game.
“Good winning record is definitely Flirsh Flavia Oketcho,” she says.
As a woman who has broken glass ceilings, Oketcho hopes to be an inspiration to all the women and girls who the world has tried to break using stereotypes.
Asked what she would tell an 18-year-old Oketcho today, she said: “God has got your back. Keep going, keep believing, you are on the right path, and in case I never told before, I am proud of you.’’
