Renowned KPA tactician calls time on illustrious coaching career
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Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 22.02.26. | 12:14
He is celebrated for, among other things, leading the side a continental Final in 2023
Celebrated basketball tactician Antony Ojukwu, who has led Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) women to a record 19 titles, has announced his retirement from a coaching career that has extensively impacted the Kenyan basketball scene.
Ojukwu, who has spent the majority of his coaching career with the Mombasa-based club, guiding the men's team to three titles, also terms his long stay with the club a learning process.
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"This is a moment I knew would come. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to truly be ready for it. It tells me that my memorable innings as a coach here on the KPA Basketball team has come to an end. I am thankful to God to have led such a talented team on this journey of transformation. It challenged my abilities to the limit and tested my perseverance to the breaking point.
Looking back, I see that this journey was a learning process not only for my players but more so for me. I learned to be more compassionate, even when making no compromise on matters of discipline. A task that was never easy," Ojukwu wrote in his farewell message.
The tactician, who has also formed part of the national team, Kenya Lionesses, technical bench over the years, remains caged on his next chapter, although he is expected to continue running his Mombasa-based academy that runs camps during school holidays.
"Now it is time to say goodbye. Some things in life are not decided by logic but by the dictates of the heart. Change is the only thing that is constant. You cannot escape it. Today I embrace this new chapter because I know with certainty that the team is in good hands," his statement continues.
Having led the women's team to eight Zone Five titles, he is also celebrated for leading the side to a Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Final in 2023, falling to hosts Sporting Alexandria. Amongst his star players that season were South Carolina's centre Madina Okot and Portuguese-based small forward Victoria Reynolds, both of whom made the 2023 Team of the Tournament, then named Africa Women's Basketball League (AWBL).
"To the players, thank you for making it possible to leave such a decorated legacy behind. None of which would be possible with you. To the entire management team, it was an honor working with you. You made the journey easier.
Thank you for all your support. To my family, thank you for allowing me to pursue this opportunity. The weeks spent away on tournaments and games could not have been easy for you, but your support made it all worthwhile," he continues.
The coach says it's time to turn the page, to say goodbye with the knowledge that he had done his best, adding, "And by the grace of God, I have brought to the limelight a few who otherwise would have dwelt in the shadows, undiscovered and not valued.
So with a thankful heart, let me say goodbye. It breaks my heart to think that I will not walk with you one more time on these grounds that hold so many precious memories for me. But that is how life is. The show has to go on; the torch has to be passed, and new leadership has to take over."
