Nairobi City Thunder forward shares how late dad motivated him in BAL
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 12.06.25. | 18:04
Okall, after a slow start, shone for his team in their historic win over South African side MBB
Nairobi City Thunder power forward Ariel Okall says the need to represent his late father, Elijah Koranga, played a big role in inspiring him to go all out in his team’s maiden Basketball Africa League (BAL) appearance in Kigali late last month.
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Okall, one of the most established names in the Thunder team, had undergone a troubling spell off the court, following the tragic loss of Retired Defence Forces Sergeant Major (DFSM) Koranga, who passed away on Wednesday, 5 February.
Months later, Okall was due to suit up for his team, as they set out for Rwanda in the BAL Nile Conference.
After a slow start, where he spent much of the first three games on the bench, Okall finally broke out, proving a key piece in Thunder’s historic win over South African side Made by Ball Basketball (MBB) on Saturday, 24 May.
The big man had four points, three rebounds, and two assists in 18 minutes of that game, which went a long way in ensuring Thunder made history by becoming the first Kenyan side to win a BAL game.
And though Thunder failed to qualify for the finals, Okall remains grateful that his dad’s legacy lived on.
In an interview with Telecomasia, Okal weighed in on the journey to honour his biggest fan.
“I really so much wanted to go there [BAL] and represent my father,” Okall said.
“I wanted to come here and make something happen and make him proud. He was always there for me and supported me, and it gave me great pleasure to know that I was doing it for him in Kigali.”
Speaking about his father’s influence, the Kenya Morans forward said: “He has been massive. He was a sportsman, and we always talked about this.
He watched the first round when we played in Tanzania, he watched the Elite 16 when we qualified, and I wish that he could have been here to watch this as well and especially when we got our first win.
But, life sometimes doesn’t give us what we wish for, and I was inspired to come here and keep representing him, making him and the whole family proud.
I felt inspired wearing the Koranga name on the back of my jersey. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for me, but I always have to move knowing that I am doing the best for him.”
